Analytical Chemistry: Tasks, Resolutions and Future Standpoints of the Quantitative Analyses of Environmental Complex Sample Matrices

• Published in: Analytica 2022-09, Vol.3 (3), p.312-324
• Main Authors: Rosato, Enrica, Merone, Giuseppe Maria, Locatelli, Marcello, D’Ovidio, Cristian, Bonelli, Martina, de Grazia, Ugo, Santavenere, Francesco, Rossi, Sandra, Ali, Imran, Ulusoy, Halil Ibrahim, Kabir, Abuzar, Savini, Fabio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analytical chemistry; Carcinogens; Configurations; Drinking water; environmental analysis; environmental applications; Environmental monitoring; extraction procedures; instrument configurations; Mathematical analysis; Nanomaterials; PCB; Perfluoroalkyl & polyfluoroalkyl substances; Pesticides; Plastic pollution; Pollutants; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Pretreatment; Quantitative analysis; Selectivity; Solvents; Task complexity
• ISSN: 2673-4532; 2673-4532
• DOI: 10.3390/analytica3030022

Currently, the challenges that analytical chemistry has to face are ever greater and more complex both from the point of view of the selectivity of analytical methods and their sensitivity. This is especially true in quantitative analysis, where various methods must include the development and validation of new materials, strategies, and procedures to meet the growing need for rapid, sensitive, selective, and green methods. In this context, given the International Guidelines, which over time, are updated and which set up increasingly stringent “limits”, constant innovation is required both in the pre-treatment procedures and in the instrumental configurations to obtain reliable, accurate, and reproducible information. In addition, the environmental field certainly represents the greatest challenge, as analytes are often present at trace and ultra-trace levels. These samples containing analytes at ultra-low concentration levels, therefore, require very labor-intensive sample preparation procedures and involve the high consumption of organic solvents that may not be considered “green”. In the literature, in recent years, there has been a strong development of increasingly high-performing sample preparation techniques, often “solvent-free”, as well as the development of hyphenated instrumental configurations that allow for reaching previously unimaginable levels of sensitivity. This review aims to provide an update of the most recent developments currently in use in sample pre-treatment and instrument configurations in the environmental field, also evaluating the role and future developments of analytical chemistry in light of upcoming challenges and new goals yet to be achieved.