Chromatography-atomic plasma source emission spectrometry

This chapter also deals in particular with chromatographic detection by atomic plasma spectrometry and plasma mass spectrometry (AED, MIP, ICP). With the application of such detectors, metal-specific signals can be obtained - thus the information content of a separation increases significantly. The major objectives of interfaced chromatography-atomic plasma source emission spectrometry (C-APES) are ... 

Because of differences in ecotoxicity between the different mercury species and as many mercury species are volatile or can easily be transformed into volatile compounds, they can readily be separated by gas chromatography and detected by MIP optical emission spectrometry for speciation. Freeh et al. [520] compared the Bee-nakker microwave-induced plasma (MIP) and a furnace atomization plasma excitation spectrometry (FAPES) source for the determination of derivatized mercury species in natural gas condensate with coupling to high-resolution GC for sample introduction and monitoring the emission of the 253.6 nm mercury hne. The precision of replicate measurements for dimethyl-, methylbutyl-, and dibutyhnercury... 

Detection systems for speciation have commonly consisted of atomic spectrometry instrumentation. One of the earliest techniques employed was flame atomic absorption spectrometry (EAAS). Sample is introduced into a flame using a pneumatic nebulizer system. The light source for atomic absorption is a low pressure (a few Torr) hollow cathode lamp (HCL) that includes a ceramic cylinder cathode coated with the pure metal or a compound of the analyte. Application of 150-300 V across the electrodes produces a plasma that results in a narrow atomic emission line that is absorbed by analyte atoms in the flame. EAAS instrumentation is relatively inexpensive and easily interfaced to chromatography systems. However, HCL-EAAS is characterized by relatively poor sensitivity that has limited its use for practical speciation analysis. 

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