什么是分析科學?
The above description of analytical chemistry provides an overview of the discipline of analytical chemistry. There have been various attempts to more specifically define the discipline. The late Charles N. Reilley said: "Analytical chemistry is what analytical chemists do" The discipline has expanded beyond the bounds of just chemistry, and many have advocated using the name analytical science to describe the field. This term is used in a National Science Foundation report from workshops on “Curricular Developments in the Analytical Sciences.” Even this term falls short of recognition of the role of instrumentation development and application. One suggestion is that we use the term analytical science and technology.
通過以上描述可以對分析化學這門學科有大致的了解,為更加明確地定義這門學科,人們也有過多種嘗試。已故的CharlesN.Reilley曾說過:“分析化學家從事的工作就是分析化學”。這門學科的發(fā)展已跨越了純化學的界限,許多人已提倡使用“分析科學”來描述該領域。在名為“分析科學的課程發(fā)展”的工作組所做的國家科學基金報告中已使用這一名詞。但是該名詞忽視了儀器發(fā)展和應用的作用,有人建議使用“分析科學和技術”這一名詞。
The Federation of European Chemical Societies held a contest to define analytical chemistry, and the following suggestion by K. Cammann was selected.
Analytical Chemistry provides the methods and tools needed for insight into our material world … for answering four basic questions about a material sample:
● What?
● Where?
● How much?
● What arrangement, structure or form?
歐洲化學會聯(lián)盟曾舉行了一次會議來定義分析化學,K.Cammann所提出的如下建議被采納:
分析化學提供了洞察物質世界所需要的方法和工具,它回答了關于某一物質樣品的四個基本問題:
•是什么?
•在哪里?
•有多少?
•是何種排列、結構或形態(tài)?
The Division of Analytical Chemistry of the American Chemical Society provides a comprehensive definition of analytical chemistry, which may be found on their website. It is reproduced in most part here:
Analytical Chemistry seeks ever improved means of measuring the chemical composition of natural and artificial materials. The techniques of this science are used to identify the substances which may be present in a material and to determine the exact amounts of the identified substance.
美國化學會的“分析化學分類”為分析化學提供了一個全面的定義,可以在其網(wǎng)站査到,此處摘錄部分內容:
分析化學探索不斷改進的方法,用以檢測天然和人造材料的化學組成。此種科學的技術手段用來鑒別可能存在于一種材料中的物質以及測定給定物質的準確含量。
Analytical chemists work to improve the reliability of existing techniques to meet the demands for better chemical measurements which arise constantly in our society. They adopt proven methodologies to new kinds of materials or to answer new questions about their composition and their reactivity mechanisms. They carry out research to discover completely new principles of measurement and are at the forefront of the utilization of major discoveries, such as lasers and microchip devices for practical purposes. Their efforts serve the needs of many fields:
分析化學家致力于提高已有技術的可靠性以更好地滿足社會中頻繁出現(xiàn)的化學檢測的需求。他們將已證實的方法學應用于新型材料,或回答關于其組成及反應機制的新問題。他們開展研究,探索全新的檢測原理,站在了將激光和微芯片等重大發(fā)現(xiàn)應用于實際用途的最前沿。他們的努力滿足了許多領域的需求:
- In medicine, analytical chemistry is the basis for clinical laboratory tests which help physicians diagnose disease and chart progress in recovery.
- In industry, analytical chemistry provides the means of testing raw materials and for assuring the quality of finished products whose chemical composition is critical. Many household products, fuels, paints, pharmaceuticals, etc. are analyzed by the procedures developed by analytical chemists before being sold to the consumer.
- Environmental quality is often evaluated by testing for suspected contaminants using the techniques of analytical chemistry.
- The nutritional value of food is determined by chemical analysis for major components such as protein and carbohydrates and trace components such as vitamins and minerals. Indeed, even the calories in a food are often calculated from its chemical analysis.
Analytical chemists also make important contributions to fields as diverse as forensics, archaeology, and space science.
•醫(yī)藥領域中,分析化學是臨床實驗室檢測的基礎,此類檢測可以幫助醫(yī)生診斷疾病,繪制康復過程圖。
•工業(yè)領域中,分析化學提供原料的檢測手段,保證對化學成分要求嚴格的最終產品的質量。許多家庭用品、燃料、涂料、藥品等在出售給消費者前就已經(jīng)被由分析化學家建立的方法分析檢測。
•環(huán)境質量經(jīng)常通過采用分析化學技術檢測疑似污染物的方法得到評價。
食品的營養(yǎng)價值是通過對其中蛋白質、碳水化合物等主要成分以及維生素、礦物質等微量成分的化學分析而得以確定。實際上,甚至食物的熱量也經(jīng)常通過化學分析的方法來計箅的。
分析化學在法醫(yī)學、考古學和太空科學等多個領域也作出了重要貢獻。