Chapter 11: Evaluation of the Greenness of Analytical Procedures

This chapter introduces the need to develop methods for evaluating analytical procedures in the light of green analytical chemistry. Green chemistry metrics are not applicable in analytical chemistry because they refer to the mass of a product and no product with mass is generated during analytical determinations. Evaluations of analytical greenness are based on scoring, with methods such as NEMI and Eco-scale, or comparative analysis as in the case of multicriteria decision analysis. Another important aspect is the assessment of solvents and reagents that are applied in analytical procedures for their greening. Various environmental, safety and health parameters are included in the assessments of solvents and reagents. The mechanisms of evaluation and numerous examples are presented and some results of assessments of reagents and solvents are also included to help analysts in the selection of greener alternatives.