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Chemical analysts use scientific, engineering, and mathematical principles to design, perform and analyze chemical experiments. They work in research or industry, analyzing data, writing reports, and using computers to model experiments. They require analytical problem-solving skills, creativity, good motor skills, and the ability to multitask.
Analytical chemistry is a field that involves researching the structure and composition of matter, determining what matter is and how different forms of matter interact and react with each other. A chemical analyst uses scientific, engineering, and mathematical principles to solve problems and carry out chemical research projects. Chemical analysts tend to work in research or the industrial sector.
The basic role of the chemical analyst is to design, configure, and perform chemical experiments and analysis. He or she must also operate and maintain laboratory equipment, prepare chemical reagents to exact specifications, and perform other support tasks in addition to designing experiments. In addition to laboratory work, the chemical analyst will also spend a good deal of time writing scientific reports and papers, analyzing data, and using computers to design or model experiments.
Designing, running, and analyzing an experiment can take several months or more, although in most cases a scientist’s time is not spent exclusively on a single experiment. Upon completion of an experiment, the chemical analyst must record and analyze the results and record them in a report. A long-term project might involve dozens or even hundreds of separate experiments, the results of which must be compiled and analyzed to produce a dataset. The role and use of this data often depends on the type of industry the chemist works in.
Chemical analysts can work in a wide range of different jobs. In industry, they may be involved in quality control, testing products or packaging for structural and chemical integrity on an ongoing basis. Another industrial role for chemical analysts is to monitor pollution levels to ensure emission levels are within acceptable limits. In medicine, the related field of biochemistry plays a role in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Forensic chemistry relates the field to law enforcement, using the principles of chemistry to provide information that can be used as evidence in criminal investigations.
Regardless of where they work and their role, chemical analysts tend to share certain common characteristics. An analytical approach to problem solving is an essential skill, and creativity is also a requirement. Good motor skills and hand-eye coordination are required for laboratory work, and the ability to concentrate on repetitive or tedious tasks for long periods of time is also important. A chemical analyst must also be an effective multitasker, as he or she performs several experiments simultaneously and works on other tasks at the same time. As in other scientific disciplines, the education of the analytical chemist is ongoing and he or she must keep up with new experimental techniques and technological advances in the field.
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