Multivariate experimental design in environmental analysis

• Environmental analysis includes the determination and/or removal of contaminants.
• In development of an environmental analysis, many variables need to be considered.
• Use of experimental design maximizes the relationship between information and cost.
• Experimental design enables the influence of variables on response to be determined.
• Experimental design enables the optimal value of the variables to be found.

Environmental analysis comprises two major areas: the development of methods for determining contaminants and the study of the processes for disposing of contaminants. To set up the best experimental conditions for both these processes, a great deal of experimentation is required because outcomes are often affected by numerous variables. Although it is generally recognized that multivariate experimental design provides maximum information at minimum experimental cost, its potential has yet to be fully exploited in environmental analysis. This critical overview covers the most frequently used strategies, with particular focus on recently published papers. Finally, the concluding remarks include a vision of some strategies that are little used in the environmental field.