Atomic spectrometry update. Environmental analysis

This is the sixteenth annual review published in JAAS of the application of atomic spectroscopy to the chemical analysis of environmental samples. In line with last year's review there have been no major breakthroughs in atom ic spectrometry. Developments in environmental analysis have mainly been co nfined to improvements of existing techniques to produce more reliable and robust analytical methods. Developments in ICP-MS applications for environm ental analysis have been the most active area of research where its low det ection limits and isotopic measurement capabilities have again been widely exploited. In the analysis of air, the most promising advances are in the a rea of continuous emission monitoring and portable XRF instrumentation. Wat er analysis continues to be dominated by pre-instrument chemistries studies for preconcentration and speciation. The variety of metal and non-metal sp ecies being studied has significantly increased this year. The need for ris k assessments of brown field sites has raised the profile of methods to det ermine the chemical form and bioavailability of metals in contaminated soil s. In geological analysis, aided by the improved stability of modern instru ments and the wider availability of high resolution spectrometers, isotope ratio determinations by ICP-MS are becoming increasingly important. Over al l areas of environmental analysis there has been a small but significant in crease in the use of chemometric methods to aid data interpretation and red uce interference effects.