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ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY EDITORIAL

April 1967, Vol. 39, No. 4 Editor:

H E R B E R T A. LAITINEN

EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS Washington, D. C. 20036 1155 Sixteenth St., N.W. Phone: 202-737-3337 Teletype WA 23 Associate Editor: John K. Crum Assistant Editors: Josephine Pechan, Virginia E. Stewart Editorial Assistants: E . Schmitt

Ellen J . Caldwell, Lois

Contributing Editor: R. H . Müller Production

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Art Director: Joseph Jacobs Art and Layout:

Herbert Kuttner

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Associate Editor: Charlotte C. Sayre Assistant Editor: Elizabeth R. Rufe Advisory Board: O. U. Anders, F. C. Anson, C. V. Banks, R. G. Bates, W. J. Blaedel, S. Bruckenstein, A. E . Cameron, Stephen Dal Nogare, Henry Freiser, H . W. Habgood, D . M . Hercules, D. W. Margerum, C. N . Reilley, R. E. Thiers, D . H . Wilkins AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY PUBLICATIONS Director of Publications, Richard L. Kenyon Director of Business Operations, Joseph H . Kuney Publication Manager, Journals, David E . Gushee Executive Assistant to the Director of Publications, Rodney N . Hader Assistant to the Director of Publications, William Q. Hull REGIONAL EDITORIAL BUREAUS N E W YORK, Ν . Υ. 10017 733 Third Ave. PHILADELPHIA, Pa. 19107 Philadelphia National Bank Building Broad & Chestnut Streets PITTSBURGH, Pa. 15219 530 William Penn Place CHICAGO, Ill. 60603 36 South Wabash Ave. CLEVELAND, Ohio 44114 1367 East Sixth St. SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. 94104 57 Post St. LOS ANGELES, Calif. 90005 422 South Western Ave. HOUSTON, Texas 77002 514 Main Bldg. 1212 Main St. F R A N K F U R T / M A I N , West Germany 32 Grosse Bockenheimerstrasse LONDON, W. C. 2, England 27 John Adam St. TOKYO, Japan Iikura Central Building, 4th Floor 12 Iikura Kata-machi, AzabtL Minato-ku: Tokyo WASHINGTON, D. C. 20036 1155 Sixteenth St., N . W.

Analytical Chemistry at Oak Ridge \ FTER a lapse of several years, it was a privilege to resume member-^ ship on the Advisory Committee for Analytical Chemistry of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Each year, ORNL holds an Analytical Chemistry Division informa­ tion meeting that is attended by technical personnel of the Division, visitors from various AEC installations around the country, professors from cooperating universities and colleges of the region, and administra­ tive officers of ORNL, as well as the Advisory Committee. The techni­ cal presentations take two successive mornings, leaving the two after­ noons and a full third day free for individual or group discussions be­ tween ORNL staff and visitors. Although the meeting serves the pri­ mary purpose of specifically examining the status of the Division, it also serves to disseminate information between the various groups at ORNL and among the various AEC laboratories and cooperating universities. Oak Ridge represents an excellent example of the advantage of a centrally organized Analytical Chemistry Division. Under the able directorship of Dr. Myron T. Kelley, the Division encompasses both service and research activities, employing a permanent staff of 210 people and 4 visitors. Of the technical staff, 24 have Ph.D. degrees, 25 have M.S. degrees, and 78 have B.S. degrees or equivalent. Of 83 analysts and technicians, 9 have B.S. or B.A. degrees. Even though some of the activities of the Division are widely spread throughout the ORNL facility, the central organization is advantageous in promoting closer cooperation between the various levels of analytical activity, ranging from routine through special services and methods develop­ ment to applied research and pure research. The size of the overall operation makes it practicable to assign a moderate amount of effort to long range research or "investment in competence" which is so im­ portant in planning to meet the problems of the future. Although space does not permit a detailed review of activities or trends, a few observations may be of interest. In mass spectrometry, the extraordinarily competent group of Dr. A. E. Cameron is finding it advantageous to build both a single and a double focusing instrument rather than to purchase them commercially. From such efforts we can expect the commercial developments of the future. Strong trends towards biochemically oriented problems and environmental health research are noticeable. The molten salt reactor program is showing progress exceeding all but the most optimistic hopes of the recent past. Over the eleven-year period, 1956—66 inclusive, ORNL was the lead­ ing institutional source of papers in ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, with 201 contributions from 52 present and 56 former staff members (including visitors and temporary employees). Altogether, the accomplishments of the Division represent a fine example of the contributions that can be made by a strong analytical chemistry group to a complex produc­ tion and research operation.

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/v. U, / ^ > ^ — . VOL. 39, NO. 4, APRIL 1967

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