About the editor P. W. J. M. Boumans, Chief Scientist with Philips Research Laboratories in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, has conducted research at the forefront of atomic spectroscopy for more than 25 years. He has published the now-classical book, Theory of Spectrochemical Excitation, and many important articles on ICP optimization, detection limits, line selection, and spectral interferences, including a two-volume tabulation, "Line Coincidence Tables for ICP Atomic Emission Spectrometry." In 1979, he became Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Spectrochimica Acta, Part B, Atomic Spectroscopy, after serving as editor seven years. He also serves on the editorial boards of Progress in Analytical Spectroscopy, The ICP Information Newsletter, Analusis, and Talanta. Dr. Boumans studied chemistry and physics at the University of Amsterdam, where he obtained his doctor's degree cum laude in 1961.