Current quality issues in chemical analysis

Abstract

Analytical chemistry and its three segments: fundamental science, chemical analysis and analytical control are associated with the determination of the chemical composition, which must be performed with the required accuracy. Inaccurate or erroneous results of chemical analysis can lead to negative and sometimes tragic consequences. The accuracy of the results is an integral part and a consequence of a whole range of measures to assure the quality of chemical analysis. Current article discusses the main elements of the quality system of chemical analysis and the current trends in solving urgent problems in this area. The first stage of the analytical process requires a clear understanding and documentation of the requirements on the part of the customer. A particular attention is paid to the contribution to the analysis uncertainty of the sampling. The principle of choosing an analytical method is considered, which is based on the type of sample, matrix, measured value etc. Approaches to the validation or certification of the methods and / or their verifications are generalized. It is shown that the basis for the validation of chemical analysis methods is the assessment of uncertainty. It is noted that this is not only a formalized procedure, but also methodologically competent support of the research process of developing an analysis method in terms of cleaning the analytical signal, ways to identify and eliminate sources of its distortion, and the choice of approaches to constructing the calibration dependencies and standard samples. Attention is drawn to the problem of the current state of education in analytical chemistry.