ABSTRACT
In the early 1990s, researchers started investigating the use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) as a detector for chromatography systems, which triggered an explosion of interest in this exciting new hyphenated technique, especially for environmental and biomedical applications. This chapter looks at what drove this research and discusses the use of chromatographic separation techniques, including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with ICP-MS to carry out trace element speciation determinations. The coupling of the ICP-MS system to the liquid chromatography hardware components is relatively straightforward, connecting a capillary tube from the end of the HPLC column, through a switching valve, to the sample introduction system of the ICP mass spectrometer. When coupling an HPLC system to an ICP mass spectrometer, it is very important to match the flow of sample being eluted off the column with the ICP-MS nebulization system.
