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The technical papers in this issue address practical challenges in power and plant chemistry and operation.

Reliable makeup water treatment is critical for the safe and efficient operation of industrial steam generators, as even small deviations in water quality can cause scaling, overheating, and equipment failure. The first article in this issue highlights the risks of neglecting proper treatment, emphasizing the importance of adherence to guidelines, consistent monitoring, and sound system design to prevent operational issues and costly outages.

The second article is the third article in a series which investigates the presence of oxalate and phosphate in low-pressure steam, linking their formation to the hydrothermal breakdown of overdosed phosphonate antiscalant that passed through the water treatment system. It shows that confirming this pathway was challenging due to underestimation of phosphonate – caused by analytical limitations and iron interactions – while factors such as condensate contamination further obscured the observed correlations.

The third article in the issue outlines the importance of ICP‑MS as a highly sensitive and versatile technique for ultra‑trace elemental and isotopic analysis in nuclear power plant chemistry. Its application over the past 30 years in reactors such as Philippsburg 2 in Germany has enhanced monitoring of corrosion products and boron isotopes, improving our understanding of coolant chemistry and supporting safe, reliable reactor operation.