The state of the art in high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HP
CE) and prospects of its application to the most important analytical
problems of environmental monitoring are considered. Examples of HPCE
of inorganic cations and anions (in aqueous solutions), chlorophenols,
explosives, and pesticides are given. Not only does HPCE complement t
he most closely related technique of ion chromatography, but it is als
o superior in terms of efficiency, rapidity of separation, and simplic
ity of instrumentation.