SPECIATION - TARGETS, ANALYTICAL SOLUTIONS AND MARKETS

An analysis of speciation-relevant issues leads to the conclusion that , despite the rapidly increasing number of reports, the field has reac hed a level of virtual stagnation in terms of research originality and market perspectives. A breakthrough is in sight but requires an advan ced interdisciplinary collaboration of chemists-analysts with clinicia ns, ecotoxicologists and nutritionists aimed at the definition of meta l (metalloid)-dependent problems relevant to human health. The feedbac k from analytical chemists will be stimulated by a wider availability of efficient HPLC (CZE)-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry ( ICP MS) interfaces, chromatographic software for ICP AES and MS and se nsitive on-line methods for compound identification (electrospray MS/M S). The maturity of purge and trap thermal desorption techniques and c apillary GC chromatography is likely to be reflected by an increasing number of commercial dedicated systems for small molecules containing Hg, Pb, Sn and metalloids. The pre-requisite of success for such syste ms is the integration of a sample preparation step (based on focused l ow-power microwave technology) into the marketed set-up. (C) 1998 Else vier Science B.V.