ABSTRACT
Ion chromatography is a single instrumental technique widely used for the sequential determination of many common anions in environmental matrices. The method involves chromatographic separation of water-soluble analytes and the detection of separated ions by a conductivity detector. It can also be used to analyze oxyhalides, such as perchlorate or hypochlorite, weak organic acids, metal ions, and alkyl amine. The chapter lists the analytes that can be determined by ion chromatography and some common eluants. Eluants other than carbonate/bicarbonate have also found wide application in many environmental and nonenvironmental analyses. Sodium hydroxide solution has now become an eluant of choice for many ion chromatography analyses using suppressed conductivity detection. Ion chromatography is the most convenient analytical approach for the determination of most inorganic anions, including oxyhalides in potable and wastewater and solid waste extracts. Ion chromatography has been used in air pollution studies to measure anions and cations in an air impinger solution and air particulate extracts.
