A N A LVT I C A L

February 1973, Vol. 45, No. 2 EDITORIAL

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Analytical Chemistry in Environmental Science Vll. The Total Environment OFTEX THE TERN Environmental Science seems to be used to describe just the study of air and water pollution. To be sure, these aspects are the ones of most' immediate concern both to environmental protection agencies and to the general public. I t is evident, however, that a more comprehensive consideration of the environment as a whole is needed both in research and in decision making if we are to make rational prog- ress toward a cleaner environment.

Interrelationships among the various compartments of the total en- vironment (air, water, soil, plants, and animals) are evident in almost every example of environmental pollution. Cleaning up smokestack emissions by transferring the pollutants from air to water may or may not help t'he total environmental problem. The widespread occurrence of mercury and its persistence in the aquatic food chain, the concentra- tion of heavy metals in sewage sludge and the problem of its disposal, and the progression of lead from automotive fuels through the environment are just a few examples of these interrelationships.

The chemical form as well as the physical distribution throughout the total system must be studied. Within the major environmental com- partments, smaller subdivisions need investigation. Within a higher animal, the subdivisions include organs, cells, organelles, membranes, and molecular species.

When the effects of a single pollutant have been determined, we need to consider combinations of pollutants to determine whether the effects are additive, antagonistic, or synergistic. At present, it appears that our knowledge of the effects of pollutants is best at the extremes of the organizational hierarchy and that the greatest research emphasis should now be placed a t the intermediate levels to make such studies both ex- perimentally practicable and biologically significant. All of this adds up to such a staggering amount of investigative work that a system of priorities needs to be invoked. h superficial examination of the toxicity and prevailing levels of pollutants will serve to establish priorities for more detailed studies.

Analytical chemistry, of course, is essential in all aspects o f environ- mental science. In fact, the main limitation to progress in the more difficult phases is the lack of adequate experimental methodology. Therefore, it is urgent that analytical chemists address themselves to the detailed and complex questions that require answers. By-products of such research in environmental science will be immensely valuable in other interdisciplinary problem areas.

ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 45, NO. 2, FEBRUARY 1973 225