ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the use of chromatographic separation techniques including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to carry out trace element speciation determinations. The desire to understand in what form or species an element exists led researchers to investigate the combination of chromatographic separation devices with ICP-MS. The chapter focuses on two common forms of chromatographic separation, such as ion exchange and reversed-phase ion-pairing chromatography, together with two commonly employed HPLC elution techniques: isocratic and gradient. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each process in the context of choosing a separation scheme to achieve analytical goals. When HPLC or even low-pressure liquid chromatography systems are coupled with the selectivity and sensitivity of ICP-MS, many elemental species at sub-ppb levels can be determined in a single sample injection.
