Repositori URV

Identifier: TDX:782

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX782

Authors:
Trullols Soler, Esther

Abstract:
The chemical information about the composition of a sample can be of different nature: which species are in the sample, their concentration or if they are structurally related, etc. In order to fit any of these requirements, either a qualitative or a quantitative analytical method may be used. If the aim is to identify species, a qualitative method will suit the problem at hand. These types of methods have been recently studied and nowadays are being increasingly used in several fields of analysis. For example, it is common to use qualitative methods as far as food analysis is concerned. On the contrary, if the aim is to quantify one or more analytes of a sample, a quantitative method will be very useful. This thesis has focused on qualitative analytical methods because they provide several advantages and they are being increasingly used. These types of methods can screen samples according to the presence or absence of certain analytes with regard to a pre-set level of concentration. That is to say, they are used as a step before the quantitative method and results in lower analysis time and costs because analyte quantification is not required in all situations. There are some particular analysis fields where qualitative methods are used as routine methods. Therefore, analyte quantification is not always necessary. Moreover, it is also important to provide reliable results, that is to say, to assure that the method performs with reliability. Any analytical method must have its requirements and its analytical properties previously defined, and their values must be proven. To confirm that the requirements and the analytical properties are the right ones and to confirm that they have the right values is to validate the analytical method. This is a necessary condition to u