411) mnkston, J. D.; Deianey, T. E.; Bowling, D. J.; Chester, T. L. J . Hb@ Resol&. Chrometogr. 1991, 14. 401-406. (412) m a k e s , M.; Vasconwlos, A. M. p.; ames de ~~~~e d~, E. J, s,; Chaves das Neves, H. J.; Nunes da Ponte, M. J. Am. 0 1 1 Chem. SOC. 1991, 68, 474-480. (413) Rossi, M.; Schiraldi, A.; Spedicato, E. selective chromatographic phases, use of GC/MS for environmental research, and the development of ion mobility spectrometry as a chemical sensor, process monitor. and chromatographic detector. He also has interests in atmospheric pressure ion-molecule chemistry exemplified by the electron capture detector. He regularly teaches separations chemistry and electronics at the graduate level and quantitative analysis at the undergraduate level. Ray E. ckment is a Research Sdentist with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Laboratory Services Branch, and Associate Executive Director of the Canadian Institute for Research in Atmospheric Chemistry (CI-RAC). He graduated with his Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo in 1981. Dr. Clement has taught undergraduate courses on GC techniques and instrumentation, and has raphylMass Spectrometry: Principles and Techniques. His principal research areas involve the uses of GC and GClMS for the analysis of ultratrace levels of toxic organics in the environment, specifically for the c h b rinated dlbenmpdbxins and dlbenzofurans. He has authored some 80 publications in this area and currently serves on the editorial board of Chemosphere. As a member of CIRAC, Dr. Clement is also interested in atmospheric research including gbbal warming and the long-range transport of toxic organics. coauthored the book Basic Gas chromarug-Herbed H. Hm, Jr., is a Professor of Chemistry at Washington State University where he directs an active research program in the development of instrumentation for trace organic analysis. His research interests include gas chromatogaphy, supercritical fluid chromatography, ion mobility spectrometry, ambient pressure ionization sources, and mass spectrometry. He received his B.S. degree in 1970 from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN, his M.S. degree in 1973 from the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO and his Ph.D. degree in 1975 from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Canada. I n 1975 he was a postdoctoral felbw at the A. OVERVIEW During this review period covering 1990 and 1991, about 500 publications appeared about X-ray spectroscopy (XRS) measurements, and a few hundred more concerning X-ray instrumentation, optical elements, and the use of X-rays in plasma diagnostics. Since this set of publications is nowadays easily accessible by abstracting services, this review will not aim to be complete and will consider exclusively those papers that discuss novelties of most interest for X-ray spectroscopists. During the preparation of this review, we screened about 400 publications in various languages; non-English