Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
Costs
Benefits
•
•
•
Reduced consumption of reagents
Reduced consumption of energy
Reduced labour through
automation
No external waste treatment
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•
Acquisition of automation components
Replacement of macroanalysis systems
by microanalysis ones and portable
remote sensing instruments
•
Figure 1.7
The balance between cost and economical opportunities offered by Green Analytical Chemistry.
On the other hand, the avoiding of waste generation or, at least, the minimization of analytical waste and
the on-line treatment of those generated in the framework of the method, provide a drastic reduction of both
risks and costs of the analytical determinations and offer new opportunities for on-line recycling of reagents.
So, it is practically a no-expense effort which can reduce the costs of operation, especially when big series of
samples of the same type must be treated every day using automatized procedures.
The economical consideration of the greening efforts in method development is, in our own opinion, the
most attractive aspect of Green Analytical Chemistry and will be the reason for extended practice in the near
future. However, to do it is our own responsibility and it will be possible if we can transmit the ethical, safety
and economic benefits of the green alternatives proposed to the traditional practices in a clear way.
1.5
The attitudes of the scientific community
Tradition is a heavy heritage in all human practices and, in spite of the opportunities offered by a fast changing
world, it is difficult to move from classical practices to new ones. In fact, in the past there was a big opposition
to the instrumental methods of analysis from those who practiced the classical titrimetric and gravimetric
analyses at the beginning of the twentieth century, based on well documented reactions and following
stoichiometric proportions between analytes and reagents. However, nowadays nobody discusses that
physicochemical methods of analysis are analytical methods, the most attractive and well adapted to the
analytical needs. The same happened with the introduction of flow analysis methods, multivariate chemometric
data processing, microwave-assisted sample treatments and kinetic analysis. However, the advantages offered
by the emerging ideas and tools obliged the acceptance of these as valuable alternatives to previous ones and
their incorporation to the regular practices. So, we think that the same will be do with the Green Analytical
Chemistry if we are able to explain well the basic ideas that support it and to evaluate the benefits that
operators and laboratories could obtain by greening their practices.
