This book was developed to cover the teaching needs of the course "Inorganic Environmental Analysis" of the Department of Environmental Management and Natural Resources of the University of Ioannina (renamed to "Department of Environmental Engineering") and corresponding courses in other departments of Greek Universities. The book is addressed to undergraduate and postgraduate students in environmental sciences, chemistry, biochemistry, geology, environmental engineering, materials, etc. Environmental sample analysis laboratory techniques are numerous and sometimes very specialized and complex. An attempt has been made to emphasize the most commonly used modern inorganic analysis methods that are applicable to environmental problems. In this context, the concept of environmental analysis is not limited only to problems of Analytical Chemistry in environmental samples but also incorporates issues such as environmental noise, radiation, and radioactivity. Additionally, non-analytical spectroscopic techniques useful in the analysis of environmental samples with an emphasis on molecular structure are described.
The presentation of the topics was made assuming that the reader has basic knowledge of General Chemistry, is familiar with basic principles of Organic Chemistry and Physical Chemistry. However, an effort has been made to cover possible deficiencies in the prerequisite knowledge. For this purpose, basic principles such as the absorption of electromagnetic radiation or the management of numerical data are presented at the beginning. In addition, some principles of analytical chemistry are presented and emphasis is placed on sampling, preparation, and preservation techniques of environmental samples.
The main objectives in writing this book were to make the inherently complex and extensive field of inorganic environmental analysis understandable and attractive and to cover topics of inorganic environmental analysis in Greek literature. We believe that this book presents the development of modern inorganic environmental analysis methods and contributes to the education of students in related fields who, as future researchers and professionals, will be able to use it as a useful tool in environmental pollution control problems.