New challenges in environmental chemistry

The major goal of this paper is to point out the frontiers of environmental chemistry and the new paradigms for the next decade, with especial focus to Latin America countries. To better address the issue, three different scenarios were selected: (a) major changes in laboratory routine and research activities; (b) extra-laboratory tendencies; and (c ) legal, political and social aspects. In the first case, there is an enormous need for implementing protocols centered on quality assurance, especially when dealing with ultra-trace analysis. The use of certified materials and standards should be enforced in the near future, as well as the implementation of intra and inter laboratory calibration programs. Sampling is another point that will demand a great amount of attention. Field analysis, including in situ monitoring, is a fast growing area in environmental chemistry, and certainly will demand expertise in various issues, including miniaturization of instrumentation, remote and continuous monitoring and bioassays, providing information that certainly will subsidize the evaluation of existing quality criteria for water and air.