Atomic spectrometry update : environmental analysis

This is the twentieth annual review published in JAAS of the application of atomic spectrometry to the chemical analysis of environmental samples. In the analysis of air, there is ongoing development of instrumentation for continuous emission monitoring and as a means of interrogating the composition of individual airborne particulates. Developments in mass spectrometry applications continue to be an active area of research where the advantages of low detection limits and abilities to perform isotopic measurements are being exploited. There is growing interest in performing speciation measurements in water and this is being aided by the development of hyphenated techniques, most notably via the coupling of chromatographic systems to ICP-MS. Dominant themes in the analysis of soils include the optimization of preconcentration and matrix separation techniques, the development of speciation protocols, notably for arsenic, and the increased use of portable XRF systems for in situ analysis. In geological analysis, laser ablation as an analytical tool is attracting a wider audience. Multi-collector ICP-MS is increasingly being used in a number of geological facilities to perform high precision isotope ratio measurements.