gSpeciation analysis. The future of atomic absorption spectrometry

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Abstract
Deduced from the number of publications, there is a steadily increasing interest in speciation analysis over the past 25 years. HPLC–ICP-MS shows the highest growth rate among the hyphenated techniques used for that purpose for the past decade. Speciation analysis, however, at this stage, is almost exclusively a matter of research. As soon as the laboratories performing routine analysis, forced by legislation or quality control requirements, are involved in speciation analysis, it will become obvious that ICP-MS is not only the most powerful, but also the most expensive ‘detector’ for HPLC and other chromatographic systems. Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) with a quartz tube atomizer is a very sensitive, specific, rugged and comparatively inexpensive detector for GC and, after analyte vaporization, also for HPLC. In many cases, it serves the purpose well. In addition, there is a variety of rather simple ‘non-chromatographic’ procedures available for the rapid determination of a ‘relevant’ species or group of species, such as hydride-generation AAS under controlled pH conditions or in the presence of a buffer, and on-line solid-phase extraction, coupled to graphite furnace AAS. It is anticipated that these simple, rapid and inexpensive procedures, based on AAS detection, will be most readily accepted when routine laboratories get involved in speciation analysis.