Chapter 9 Interfacing of Gc/Hplc with Direct Current Plasma (Dcp) Emission Spectroscopic Detection for Trace Metal Analysis and Speciation

Abstract

The direct current plasma (DCP) instrument can admirably serve as a batch/flow injection analysis (FIA) element selective detector (ESD) for numerous elemental species, providing total metal content for several elements in sequence. In the chromatographic mode, it is an ideal ESD for virtually all volatile metal species via gas chromatography (GC), with or without a pre-column, on-line hydride formation step. It works best in a single element mode, as opposed to the current Hewlett Packard GC–microwave induced plasma (MIP) unit, which can perform several elemental wavelength determinations simultaneously. Thus, it may perform best when speciation is needed for a single element in its various forms present. It is compatible with virtually all forms of GC, capillary, megabore, packed column. In high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) areas, it is fully compatible with many separation modes, types of mobile phases, flow rates, and secondary chemical equilibria involved in the overall separation schemes. It is also compatible with on-line, post-column hydride formation steps, and can then really provide useful, practical, trace levels of detection, with true speciation results.