Application of IC-MS and IC-ICP-MS in Environmental Research

Since its introduction in 1975, ion chromatography (IC) has been used in most areas of analytical chemistry and has become a versatile and powerful technique for the analysis of a vast number of ions present in the environment. Although conductivity detection is still the most popular detection method, other types of detection can be applied for different analytes. These include the following methods: electrochemical (for example, amperometric and potentiometric), photometric (UV-vis and chemiluminescence), and spectrometric (used mainly in hyphenated techniques). The most versatile and powerful detection method is mass spectrometry (MS). The main advantages of IC-MS are extremely low detection and quantification limits, insignificant interference influence, and high precision and repeatability of the determinations. This article is a review of possible uses of IC in combination with MS detection for environmental research.