This thesis is an attempt to establish the Shpol' skii fluorescence as a valuable tool for analytical chemists. The basic principles of the Shpol'- skii fluorescence is comprehensively explained and the most important parameters that influence the registering of quasilinear spectra are discussed.

The sample compartment that is needed for proper registration of Shpol' skii spectra is optimized with respect to inner filter effects and adapted for low temperature use. The temperature used in these investigations was mostly 63 K (-210°C).

The identifying of chemical compounds by aid of their Shpol' skii spectra is primarily made by utilizing the fingerprint identification technique, i.e. to utilize the, for each Shpol' skii emitting compound characteristic, narrow-banded fluorescence spectrum.

The analysis of samples from ambient air, soil, automobile exhaust, petroleum products, etc. by aid of cleaning up steps, HPLC and quasilinear fluorescence are demonstrated and evaluated and the selectivity of the method is discussed. The appearance of unidentified spectra in real sample analysis is briefly discussed and the establishing of a large reference library is emphasized.