Magnetic normalization of particle size effects in a heavy metal pollution study of intertidal sediments from the Yangzte Estuary

Magnetic, granulometric and geochemical analyses were conducted on an intertidal sediment core from the Yangtze Estuary to evaluate the possibility of normalizing samples for particle size effects in a heavy metal pollution study by means of magnetic proxies. It has been found that the magnetic parameter XARM, indicating fine grained ferrimagnetic minerals, correlates well with the clay content and organic matter concentration of the sediments. XARM also shows significant relationship with heavy metals. Therefore XARM is proposed as a proxy for clay content in the sediments, and can be used to compensate for the particle size effect in sedimentary heavy metal records, where magnetic minerals are not subject to significant post-depositional alteration.     

Automatic data processing in chromatography — A mixed blessing

Summary Possible changes in chemical analysis as a result of the introduction of microprocessors are discussed. Many of the problems associated with mini-computer systems for GC arise from putting too many facilities into small systems because of price constraints. These should disappear with widespread use of microprocessors. The problems of inadequate or inappropriate software are a little more intractable. However, the software industry has learnt a lot in the past decade and, while bad software continues to be produced in some quantity, the tools to construct good programs are becoming readily available, and should give rise to improved systems.     

Vibrational spectroscopic characterisation of salmeterol xinafoate polymorphs and a preliminary investigation of their transformation using simultaneous in situ portable Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry

Knowledge and control of the polymorphic phases of chemical compounds are important aspects of drug development in the pharmaceutical industry. Salmeterol xinafoate, a long acting β-adrenergic receptor agonist, exists in two polymorphic Forms, I and II. Raman and near infrared spectra were obtained of these polymorphs at selected wavelengths in the range of 488–1064 nm; significant differences in the Raman and near-infrared spectra were apparent and key spectral marker bands have been identified for the vibrational spectroscopic characterisation of the individual polymorphs which were also characterised with X ray diffractometry. The solid-state transition of salmeterol xinafoate polymorphs was studied using simultaneous in situ portable Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry isothermally between transitions. This method assisted in the unambiguous characterisation of the two polymorphic forms by providing a simultaneous probe of both the thermal and vibrational data. The study demonstrates the value of a rapid in situ analysis of a drug polymorph which can be of potential value for at-line in-process control.