Ion chromatography (IC) is now a well-established methodology for the analysis of ionic species. The technique is applicable to the determination of a wide range of solutes in many sample types, although the determination of inorganic ions in potable waters continues to be the most widely used application of ion chromatography. Many standardization and regulatory bodies, such as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have approved methods of analysis based upon IC, most of which have been published within the last decade. Recent developments in the field of IC, such as the use of higher capacity columns, larger loop injections, more complex sample preparation and detection schemes, have been incorporated into these new approved methods. These advances allow the determination of environmentally significant contaminants, such as common inorganic anions, bromate, perchlorate and chromate, at trace levels in potable waters using ion chromatography.
Ion chromatography (IC) has been approved for the analysis of inorganic anions in environmental waters since the mid -1980s, as described in EPA Method 300.0. Recent advances in instrumentation, columns and detection technology have expanded the scope of IC methods for analytes other than common anions, e.g., disinfection byproduct anions, chromate and perchlorate. In this paper, we review recent developments for the determination of low μg/L levels of anions and perchlorate in environmental samples by IC. The application of EPA Method 314.0 for the analysis of perchlorate in higher ionic strength samples, such as fertilizers, will be also be considered, in addition to the use of electrospray MS detection as a confirmatory technique for anion identification.
Several books [1–4] have been published on ion chromatography (IC). It is a branch of liquid chromatography, and has several unique characteristics to meet the needs of ion analysis. The eluents, or mobile phases, used are often acid, alkaline, or high in salt content. The high-pressure pump used should have an all nonmetallic flow path in order to reliably deliver these eluents without contaminating the column or detection methods used. The ion exchange columns provide the unique ion separation capabilities, while chemically suppressed conductivity detection is the primary detector used for IC. Other detectors such as ultraviolet/visible light absorbance and electrochemical detectors are also often used. Like all forms of liquid chromatography, an IC includes a pump, injection valve, separation column, and detector. Fig. 1 is a representation of a liquid chromatograph used to determine ions. The hardware used to perform IC is similar to that used for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), although it is typically made of inert polymer that is resistant to corrosive acid and base solutions frequently used in IC. Some form of sample introduction device and a means of recording the output signal are also required.
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