ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY UPDATE - ENVIRONMENTAL-ANALYSIS

This is the ninth annual review published in JAAS of the application o f atomic spectrometry based procedures to the chemical analysis of env ironmental samples. The format used is very similar to that of previou s years. The most noticeable trend over the past 12 months has been an increase in the exploitation of the analytical power of ICP-MS and MS techniques generally. Even in the analysis of air, some very interest ing developments using isotopic tracers have been reported. The availa bility of a capacity for ultra-trace determinations, however, has, for several workers, served to highlight the need for clean sampling and sample handling techniques if sensible results are to be obtained. Wit h the wider use of ICP-MS, a better understanding of polyatomic ion in terference effects is also starting to emerge. In most years, one or t wo elements seem to attract particular attention in environmental rese arch. At present determination and speciation of Cr seem to be attract ing considerable interest.