The search for altematives to better our environment is imperative. The voluntary or involuntary contributions to its degradation have grown to the point that the health of many pwple and of ecosystems is seriously threatened. A bird's eye view of the substances involved in the pollution arena allows one to note that most of them can normally be subject to either an oxidation or a reduction. For example, compounds containing highly oxidized chromium are quite toxic whereas their reduced counterparts are much less dangerous (in fact, chromium compounds in reduced form are essential nutrients). In other words, simple electron transfer can change compounds toxicity, probably as a result of the concomitant geometry and standard potential changes. Likewise, many organic compounds lose their toxicity upon oxidation (often all the way to carbon dioxide). Such an electron transfer can frequently be achieved on an electrified surface (electrode); this opens a wide door for the electrochemieal treatment or destruction of pollutants. In the same vein, the application of an electric signal and the monitoring of the resulting current or voltage can detect most of these substances. A series of electro analflical techniques offers the possibility of performing a plethora of qualitative or quantitative determinations of pollutants in a variety of matrices. Some examples include: golarography, voltammet_ry, chronopotentiomegy, chronoamperomet_ry, etc. In addition, many substances are analyzed by other techniques that make use of electrochemical detectors. Electrochemical techniques offer increasing degrees of accuracy and detection limits, often involving dramatically lower costs than other techniques. In addition, electrochemistry offers a series of advantages that in many cases can be used to make "green" processes. Some include the minimization of waste emissions by improved process design involving the minimization of by-product formation, raw material usage, and energy eonsumption. In this way, electrochemistry offers important degrees of: o Environmental compatibility. Electrons are clean reagents per se. o Energetic eflîciency. Electrochemical processes are not subject to some limitations inherent to other processes.