CHROMATOGRAPHY, Vol. 34 (2013), No. 3, pp. -123

“Chromatography” is the essential separation and analytical method to learn now and in the future. My early experience and studies at the University of Tokyo and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science are countercurrent chromatography (CCC) and the aqueous two-phase polymer system.
At NIH in the United States, CCC with the horizontal flow-through coil planet centrifuge was applied to isolation and purification of metabolites of anticancer drugs and the principle of CCC was also applied to sample pretreatment. At the National Institute of Public Health in Japan, many various residual analytical methods have been developed for regulatory and administrative research studies. Compounds that are subjected to food hygienic analysis include food contaminants such as pesticides, veterinary drugs, food additives, natural toxins and physiologically active compounds. In order to obtain reliable analytical data, various chromatographic techniques were applied for residual analysis of food. The combination of LC and/or GC with MS were applied to ensure the identification of the peak, before taking regulatory action. The part of developed residual analysis were adopted in the official testing method. An association between exposure to trace hazardous chemicals such as endocrine disrupting chemicals and an increased incidence of human endocrine disease might be continued to study by accurate and sensitive analytical method. The hyphenated analytical methods for determination of endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenol A, phthalate esters, perfluorochemicals and so on have been studied by the use of LC/MS and LC/MS/MS.
Chromatographic techniques might be applicable with the hopes of realizing scientific risk assessment of the chemicals derived from daily life products as regulatory sciences.