ABSTRACT
One of the basic problems of environmental analytical chemistry is the separation of complex mixtures. Analytical methods usually are designed for relatively pure materials and may be confounded by the complexity of many environmental samples. Proper separation of sample mixtures into their components can usually aid the analytical process by removing interferences, increasing reproducibility and pushing back the limits of detection. Most analytical schemes, therefore, usually consist of one or more separation/purification steps prior to analysis. The separation step(s) is often the most challenging.
