Editorial

Abstract

Dear Authors, Reviewers, Editors, and Staff of Current Analytical Chemistry, First of all, I would like to thank Current Analytical Chemistry for the opportunity to prepare this special issue and the authors who entrusted their work to our care and contributed to the creation of this thematic issue. This special edition contains manuscripts addressed to the topic of physicochemical analyses of pharmaceutical products in the context of white and/or green analytical chemistry, including environmentally friendly methods using HPLC, UV-Vis, thin layer chromatography, infrared, capillary electrophoresis, and others. This is an effort to highlight that analytical methods can be both accurate and precise as well as clean and optimized. In this context, the use of less aggressive solvents, miniaturization of samples and waste, elimination of steps, costs involved, and direct/in-situ analysis are presented. Additionally, the use of tools, such as ESA, GAPI, and NEMI, to evaluate the greenness of analytical methods is also highlighted. Further, the special edition shows sustainable analysis options for chemical-pharmaceutical laboratories around the world. Thus, they will be able to verify the quality of final pharmaceutical products reliably, safely, and with less damage to operators and the environment, in addition to benefiting from all the other advantages of white and/or green analytical chemistry. Organizations are investing heavily in the development and improvement of their processes, analyses, and products based on white and/or green analytical chemistry, as sustainability has been a growing global concern since national and international bodies, mediated by the United Nations, reached a consensus that Earth's resources are finite and pollution can have harmful effects on people and the planet. Several world conferences on the environment and sustainability have already been held. Another factor that encourages organizations to invest in sustainable products is the rise in the inflation rate, the costs of disposing of toxic waste, and the fines for pollution. Therefore, an analytical method must be ecoefficient; that is, it must reduce or eliminate the use of solvents or the generation of toxic waste for both the environment and the operator, ensuring the quality of life of everyone involved. Moreover, universities have played a fundamental role by serving as research centers, contributing to health control activities and scientific enrichment in this area. In this way, this special edition aims to contribute to a cycle of sustainability in which there is a guarantee of product quality and analytical awareness about health, time, waste generation, environment, and cost coexistence. Lastly, I wish you all a fruitful read, which will surely generate new ideas and opportunities for continuous improvement.