Abstract

This is the fifteenth annual review published in JAAS of the application of atomic spectroscopy to the chemical analysis of environmental samples. Over the period there have been no major breakthroughs in atomic spectrometry, but environmental scientists are discovering the wide variety of applications that can be addressed with current analytical instrumentation. In particular, the low detection limits and isotopic measurement capabilities of ICP-MS are being widely exploited.

There is continued emphasis on the need for improvements in analytical data quality in all areas. The need for and production of reference materials, ranging from air filters to the most challenging production of RMs for metal speciation, are widely discussed. There is also increased reporting of the results of interlaboratory collaboration trials, especially in the area of air analysis where this type of study has, in the past, lagged behind other environmental analyses.

Despite the ever decreasing trend in instrument detection limits much effort continues to be expended in the development of preconcentration methodologies, many of which involve traditional complexation chemistries on solid phase extraction supports. Pre-instrument chemistries are also the subject of many studies in the area of speciation, which often combine a complexation and/or species separation step prior to atomic spectrometric quantitation.

For solids analysis through the dissolution route, there continues to be much re-working of a variety of permutations and combinations of digestion methodologies using different acids mixtures under varying heating and pressure regimes. The advantage of by-passing the vagaries of the dissolution step by direct analysis of solids continues to fuel some very fertile research using laser ablation sample introduction, while XRF methods continue to be used widely.