The analytical performance of different pneumatic nebulisers and cloud chambers for inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry is reported. A vortex cloud chamber and a double-pass cloud chamber were compared for use with concentric glass nebulisers. An all-plastic double-pass cloud chamber was preferred. Two new nebulisers for solutions containing high levels of dissolved solids or slurries are described. One of these, machined entirely from inert plastic, gave an improved performance compared with a glass concentric nebuliser and no problems were encountered with the nebulisation of solutions containing 20%m/V of dissolved solids or slurries.