IC-ICP-MS for Elemental Speciation - Combining the Best of Two Worlds

Modern laboratories performing applied analytical testing fulfill a wide range of tasks using different types of analytical instrumentation. In the inorganic laboratory, ion chromatography (IC) is used for the determination of common anions, analysis of disinfection byproducts or carbohydrate screening. At the same time, screening for heavy metals is accomplished using techniques such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Whereas IC is a powerful separation technique for ionic or polarizable species, ICP-MS is a powerful element selective detector. Both techniques can provide valuable information to estimate the level of contaminants in a sample, but at the same time, both techniques face limitations, that may yield only part of the story based on the analytical information that each deliver. For example, using ICP-MS, all information related to the chemical species in which an element is present is lost during the ionization process, and in many cases that makes it impossible to make judgments regarding toxic risk based solely on the concentration for a given analyte alone. With common detection systems used in conjunction with IC, such as conductivity detection, detection power may be a limiting factor, or a complex setup might be required in order to selectively convert an analyte into a photoactive compound for colorimetric detection. In these cases, it is beneficial to combine the best of both worlds – the separation power of IC and the detection sensitivity of ICP-MS, to obtain an even more powerful hyphenated system. The related activity “to identify and measure the quantities of one or more individual chemical species in a sample” is often referred to as speciation analysis. This presentation will highlight that it has never been easier to utilize hyphenated techniques in routine analysis, especially when analyzing food and beverages, where speciation can play a vital role to understand the risk associated with the presence of contaminants such as arsenic, iodine or mercury. Dedicated solutions for integrated hardware control and simple method development are key for solutions for routine application. However, modern technology to remove or eliminate spectral interferences is equally important and will also be highlighted.