Sustainable Development Goals and Analytical Chemistry

Analytical Chemistry has been consolidating itself over the years as a multidisciplinary area that has strong influence in the main branches of science. From the point of view of methods proposition, there are many unanswered questions that cannot do without analytical support. One of the great challenges is to meet some of the demands associated with sustainable development goals. The 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations Development Program since 2015 are “a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity”. The goals are ambitious and must balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Among the range of issues and challenges are the quality control of food, emerging microplastics pollution, nanoparticle and single particle determination, the control and removal of toxic elements and substances from environmental systems (water, soil, and air), and all chemical hazards that societies are exposed to today, which need attention and control. A quick observation of the 17 SDGs makes it possible to see how analytical chemistry can play an important role in fulfilling these challenging tasks. Over the years, analytical chemistry has evolved in such a way that the associated analytical techniques and methods are conducted quickly, safely, and with metrological quality. The creativity, knowhow, technology, and financial resources from all of society are necessary to achieve the SDGs in every context. This first volume of the 2023 BrJAC brings reflections and contributions that show adherence to some challenges mentioned above. The point of view of volatile species generation (VSG) for trace element and speciation analysis, including hydrides and different chemical structures, forming volatile species, such as carbonyls, alkyl-halides, and free atoms, nanoparticles, chelates, and oxides is a demonstration. The contribution on the preparation and use of miniaturized and low-cost electrochemical sensors shows the strength of this area, especially in the group of Brazilian scientists, and will undoubtedly contribute significantly to the identification of groups or different species or molecules. The review section shows the state of the art of capillary electrophoresis (CE) applied to human urine analysis for clinical diagnosis. The articles section covers auto-machine learning algorithms applied to vibrational spectroscopy data for the quality control of biodiesel; the determination of monomers of ethyl acrylate in commercial latex resin; spectrophotometric methods for the quality control of sodium diclofenac in tablets and lead-complex in vegetables using a new reagent for determination; and finally, a forensic contribution reporting a case of cocaine trafficking in asphaltic material. Enjoy and make good reading of the current issue!