Microconcentric Nebulizer Research Articles

Non-spectral interference effects in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry using direct injection high efficiency and microconcentric nebulisation

Non-spectral interference effects in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were investigated for the direct injection high efficiency nebuliser (DIHEN) the large bore DIHEN (LB-DIHEN) and a microconcentric nebuliser (MCN) with a cyclone spray chamber. Interference effects from nitric and sulfuric acid, methanol and sodium nitrate solutions were studied. Eight elements with different ionisation potentials (IP) and atomic masses were monitored at various nebuliser gas flow rates. The processes giving rise to interference effects observed with the DIHEN were investigated by monitoring relative analyte sensitivities at different radial plasma positions. It was found that the average magnitude of interference effects decreased in the order MCN ≈ DIHEN > LB-DIHEN, showing that analytical performance is improved by removing the spray chamber. It is suggested that remaining interference effects observed for the DIHEN are caused by a matrix induced spatial redistribution of the aerosol in the plasma due to differences in droplet size distribution and density between water and the matrix solutions. In addition, the high plasma solvent load with the DIHEN results in a pronounced negative correlation between relative analyte signal magnitude and IP. For the LB-DIHEN, these effects were smaller, and other element specific interference effects dominated. For the eight elements monitored, element specific interference effects increased in the order MCN < DIHEN < LB-DIHEN. Transient acid effects were also investigated and found to be virtually eliminated by the use of a DIHEN instead of the MCN system. For the latter, stabilisation times of 3–10 min were necessary when changing the nitric acid concentration between 0.22 and 2.2 mol l−1.

Thorium isotopic measurements on silicate rock samples with a multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer

Chemical and mass spectrometric procedures for thorium isotopic analysis using a highly sensitive multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) equipped with a retardation lens were developed. They were applied to thorium isotopic measurements in volcanic rock samples. Rock samples were digested in screw-capped Savillex beakers with HF–HClO4. Thorium was then isolated from the rock matrix by a conventional anion-exchange procedure. Purified thorium was analyzed using an MC-ICP-MS (Micromass, IsoProbe) with a micro-concentric nebulizer (Cetac Aridus). The sensitivity for thorium was about 80 V ppm−1, which enabled us to obtain a strong enough ion current to measure 230Th/232Th ratios with a 10 ppb solution. With these procedures, we were able to reduce the amount of thorium required for precise isotopic analysis to <10 ng. Mass-fractionation correction and Daly/Faraday multiplier gain calibration were applied using natural uranium standard solution. The procedures were applied to standard rock samples whose thorium isotopic ratios had been reported using thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). Thorium isotopic compositions measured for JB-1 and AGV-1 gave coincident values with the TIMS values. In addition, the 230Th/232Th radioactivity ratios of the three standard rocks including JR-2, with eruption ages of older than 350 kyr, were in equilibrium with those of 238U/232Th, confirming the accuracy of our analysis.

On-line removal of mass interferences in palladium determination by ICP-MS using modified capillaries coupled to micro-flow nebulizers

This paper describes a novel approach developed for on-line removal of interferences within modified capillaries coupled to micro-flow nebulizers, for palladium determination by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A strong cation exchanger [2-(4-chlorosulfophenyl)ethyltrichlorosilane)] was covalently bound to the silica capillary that was coupled to a microconcentric nebulizer (MCN) or to a direct injection nebulizer (DIN). The modified surface of the capillary was able to selectively retain copper and yttrium from aqueous samples at pH 7.5 during the sample introduction step, while Pd was not retained and 105Pd could be determined in the absence of interferent elements. The capillary was easily regenerated by flushing with 100 µL of 10−2 mol L−1 HCl. Since calibrations showed no significant difference between the absence and presence of interfering elements, the palladium detection limits of 8.8 and 5.8 ng L−1 for MCN and DIN, respectively, were not influenced by adding up to a 300-fold excess of interferents. The developed method constitutes, for the first time, a simple way to determine ultratrace amounts of palladium in samples containing the above-mentioned interferents by using ICP-MS. The method was successfully applied to determine palladium in different environmental samples such as road dust and car exhaust fumes.

Isotopic analysis of uranium in tree bark by ICP mass spectrometry: a strategy for assessment of airborne contamination

Isotopic analysis of uranium in tree bark by ICP mass spectrometry is proposed as a new measurement strategy for monitoring airborne contamination and for discrimination of nuclear and nonnuclear emission sources. A quadrupole-based ICP mass spectrometer equipped with a microconcentric nebulizer and membrane desolvator was used to provide high-sensitivity measurement. The limit of detection for uranium (238U) was 0.004 ng L(-1). Measurement precision (235U/238U) was between 0.2 and 0.5% RSD for isotopic SRMs (U005 and U015; concentration, 1 microg L(-1)) and ranged from 0.4 to 3.1% RSD for tree bark extracts (U concentration, 0.03-0.08 microg L(-1)). Bark samples collected from the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire (U.K.) exhibited a natural 235U/238U isotope ratio value (0.0072) whereas samples from Sellafield, West Cumbria (U.K.) showed depletion in 235U (235U/238U = 0.0053-0.0064).

Capillary electrophoresis–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry interface with minimised dead volume for high separation efficiency

A modified microconcentric nebulizer (MCN-100) has been used to construct an improved interface with minimised liquid and gas phase dead volumes for the coupling of capillary electrophoresis (CE) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A plate number of 3.6·10 6 plates m −1 has been achieved. This is an order of magnitude better than the results previously reported for CE–ICP-MS. The separation efficiency of the system is demonstrated by the baseline separation of eight rare earth metals within a time span of 14.6 s. The system was used to control the purity of vitamin B 12 and glutaredoxin 2 from Escherichia coli.

Comparison of the application of higher mass resolution and cool plasma conditions to avoid spectral interferences in Cr(III)/Cr(VI) speciation by means of high-performance liquid chromatography – inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

In Cr(III)/Cr(VI) speciation by means of high-performance liquid chromatography – inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC–ICPMS), accurate quantification is often jeopardised as a result of spectral overlap to be attributed to the occurrence of C- ( 40 Ar 12,13 C + ) and/or Cl-based ( 37 Cl 16 O + and 35 Cl 16 OH + ) molecular ions. In the present work, a microbore anion exchange column, hyphenated to a sector field ICP — mass spectrometer by means of a microconcentric nebuliser, was used for a challenging ‘real-life’ application: Cr speciation in industrial process solutions, characterised by a heavy matrix. The capabilities of both high mass resolution ( R=3000) and cool plasma conditions (at R=300) to overcome the aforementioned spectral interferences were studied and compared to one another and the effect of both approaches on the analytical figures of merit was evaluated. Under cool plasma conditions, the occurrence of ArC + ions, which interfere with the determination of Cr(VI) with the anion exchange column used (co-elution of Cr(VI) and HCO 3 −), can be sufficiently reduced to permit reliable Cr(VI) determination. The presence of ClO(H) + ions, which interfere with the determination of Cr(III) on the other hand (co-elution of Cr(III) and Cl −), cannot be avoided by cool plasma conditions. Increasing the mass resolution is an elegant way to avoid the detrimental influence of both interferences, but leads to a 15-fold reduction in transmission efficiency (sensitivity). Nevertheless, for both species involved, sub-μg limits of detection — 50 ng/l for Cr(III) and 120 ng/l for Cr(VI) — could be obtained. As a result, application of a higher mass resolution ( R=3000) was preferred for the analysis of industrial process solutions by means of HPLC–ICPMS. The accuracy of the results obtained was demonstrated by the good agreement between (i) the sum of the concentrations of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) and (ii) the total Cr content, determined by means of pneumatic nebulisation ICPMS.

Evaluation of a Microconcentric Nebulizer and its Suction Effect in a Capillary Electrophoresis Interface with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

An experimental consideration and common difficulty when interfacing capillary electrophoresis (CE) with plasma mass spectrometry via a pneumatic nebulizer is the suction effect caused by the natural aspiration of the nebulizer. This is a significant effect in terms of the CE experiment, since it can seriously degrade the separation of analytes. In this study, a pneumatic microconcentric nebulizer was studied as a CE interface with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A self-aspirating sheath flow interface technique was used to reduce the suction effect of the nebulizer by using a separation of metallothionein I and ferritin. However, the sheath flow or make-up buffer technique has not been studied sufficiently with respect to all the effects on the CE analysis. In this evaluation, a sol-gel frit was placed in the sample introduction end in this CE system, and the contribution of the suction effect to both sample response from sample loading and elution times was observed. It was found that the studied microconcentric nebulizer could be used effectively with the self-aspirating sheath flow technique; however, the contribution of the suction effect to sample loading to the CE system is very high. The peak area response difference of an open capillary vs. a sol-gel fritted capillary was approximately one order of magnitude greater. Also, the fritted capillary experiments showed that the contribution to migration time from aspiration of the nebulizer through the CE capillary is very significant.

Determination of mercury compounds by capillary electrophoresis inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with microconcentric nebulization

A preliminary study of a microconcentric nebulizer (MCN) as the sample introduction device for the capillary electrophoresis inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CE-ICP-MS) system for mercury speciation application is described. Samples containing ionic mercury compounds were subjected to electrophoretic separation before injection into the microconcentric nebulizer. The species studied include inorganic mercury (Hg(II)), methyl mercury (CH 3-Hg) and ethyl mercury (C 2H 5-Hg). The sensitivity, detection limit and repeatability of the CE-ICP-MS system with a microconcentric nebulizer were comparable to CE-ICP-MS system with other nebulization techniques of various metal speciation studies . Reproducibility of peak height and migration time was better than 3 and 2%, respectively. The limits of detection for various mercury species were in the range of 0.08–0.17 μg ml −1 Hg based on peak height. We determined the concentrations of mercury compound in contact lenses solutions purchased from the local market. The precision between sample replicates was better than 7% with CE-MCN-ICP-MS method.

Determination of lead isotope ratios in seawater by quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after Mg(OH) 2 co-precipitation

A low blank Mg(OH) 2 pre-concentration method was evaluated for the determination of lead isotope ratios ( 208Pb/ 206Pb, 207Pb/ 206Pb) in seawater using a quadrupole ICP-MS VG Plasma Quad II+. Possible matrix effects derived from the Mg(OH) 2 co-precipitate were assessed by spiking lead-free seawater (PbFS) and 1% (v/v) HNO 3 with the certified common lead standard NBS 981 to give solutions with concentrations in the lower picogram per millilitre range. The standard curves for all three masses were linear in both matrices with minor signal loss (∼18%) in the Mg matrix. Mass fractionation showed similar mass biases (<2% frac./amu) for 208Pb/ 206Pb and 207Pb/ 206Pb in both seawater and 1% (v/v) HNO 3, indicating that there is no significant matrix influence on the isotope ratio determination. Using the Mg(OH) 2 precipitation method, real seawater samples were pre-concentrated approximately 28-fold, and 1 ml of 5% (v/v) HNO 3 end volume was used for the subsequent measurement. The data acquisition parameters dwell time, replicates per analysis, and acquisition time were first varied to optimize analytical precision and accuracy of the ICP-MS measurements. On the basis of these results, approximately 0.5 ml of pre-concentrated solution was finally used employing a low-flow, CETAC microconcentric nebulizer to minimize sample consumption and extend acquisition time. Analyzing 18 seawater samples from the North Atlantic, the average 1σ external precision of triplicate measurements was approximately 0.3% for both ratios, 208Pb/ 206Pb and 207Pb/ 206Pb, at the level of approximately 20 pg ml −1 Pb. Blanks accounted for less than 3% of total lead analyzed for each sample. Six samples were also measured with TIMS and agreed in average within 0.26% for 207Pb/ 206Pb and 0.37% for 208Pb/ 206Pb. Three surface water samples from the Sargasso Sea, collected in 1989, showed ratios in line with previous published ratios from the western North Atlantic.

Rapid determination of Os isotopic composition by sparging OsO 4 into a magnetic-sector ICP-MS

We present a method for the rapid determination of Os isotopic compositions and platinum group element (PGE) concentrations using ICP-MS on the same sample split. The method makes use of transfer of volatile OsO 4 by an Ar gas stream into the torch of a magnetic sector ICP-MS for analysis. A variety of partial or complete sample dissolution methods can be used, namely (1) microwave oven digestion of samples in pressurized Teflon vessels under oxidizing acidic conditions, (2) NiS fire assay for complete sample dissolution and PGE preconcentration, (3) acid leaching techniques to extract labile PGE fractions, and (4) Carius tube digestion. Microwave oven sample digestion with HF–HNO 3–HCl in an all-Teflon system as well as Carius tube digestion also allows the determination of Os isotopic composition and Os and Re concentrations on the same sample split. Spike–sample equilibration can be monitored on-line during sparging into the ICP-MS. The elimination of a nebulizer for Os isotope ratio measurements minimizes memory problems that are often associated with the determination of Os isotope ratios in liquid samples by ICP-MS. The external reproducibility of 187 Os/ 188Os measurements of an in-house Os standard solution using a single-collector, magnetic sector ICP-MS (Finnigan ELEMENT) is 0.78% (1 S.D., n=13) for analyte amounts ranging from 81 pg to 1.22 ng total Os. The ion yield for 7-min data acquisitions is ∼5×10 −5. Compared to negative thermal ionization mass spectrometry (N-TIMS), sample throughput is about on an order of magnitude higher. If NiS fire assay is used for PGE preconcentration, complementary PGE can be determined in the liquid residue by ICP-MS using a microconcentric nebulizer after the extraction of OsO 4.

Optimization of HPLC-ICP-AES for the determination of arsenic species.

High performance liquid chromatography coupled to ICP-AES detection provides a rapid, reliable and sensitive method for arsenic speciation. The separation of As(III), As(V), DMA and MMA was achieved with ion exchange chromatography coupled to an axially-viewed sequential ICP-AES. After optimization of the chromatographic parameters (pH and concentration of the mobile phase), a careful study of the interface was conducted. Five nebulizers associated to three spray chambers were tested. Response of the ICP to each arsenic species was strongly affected by the selection of the nebulizer and spray chamber, however similar responses were obtained for each arsenic species. Best signal-to-noise ratios were obtained by using a microconcentric nebulizer and a cyclone spray chamber and did not affect the chromatographic resolution. Detection limits better than 10 microg L(-1) were obtained for As(III), DMA, MMA and 20 microg L(-1) for As(V), which is a significant improvement over previously published results.

Determination of Major Metals in Arctic Snow by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry with Cold Plasma and Microconcentric Nebulization Techniques

A method was developed for the determination of K, Ca, Mg, Na, Al and Fe in Arctic snow samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Shield torch system under cold plasma conditions was used to overcome the spectral interferences from the plasma gas on 39K (38ArH), 40Ca (40Ar) and 56Fe (40Ar16O). Detection limits (3σ) were 1, 1, 2, 7, 6 and 3 ng/l for Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca and Fe, respectively. Reproducibility of measurements was better than 2% relative standard deviation (n=10) for all the elements of interest at 1.0 μg/l level. The sample consumption was ca. 60 μl per assay due to the use of a microconcentric nebulizer. Several Arctic snow samples were analysed and the reliability of the proposed method was confirmed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.

Comparison of different nebulisers and chromatographic techniques for the speciation of selenium in nutritional commercial supplements by hexapole collision and reaction cell ICP-MS

A detailed comparison of the performance of different nebulisation (Meinhard, hydraulic high pressure and microconcentric nebulisers) and chromatographic (reversed-phase and ion-pair) systems for the speciation of selenium by hexapole collision and reaction cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was carried out. The relative limits of detection for the seleno compounds under study (selenite, selenate, selenocystine, selenomethionine and selenoethionine) monitoring isotope 80Se were in the range 100–200 pg mL−1 (Meinhard nebuliser), 80–150 pg mL−1 (microconcentric nebuliser) and 35–90 pg mL−1 (hydraulic high pressure nebuliser). Selenium species separation was carried out by both reversed-phase and ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). More seleno compounds could be separated and a slight improvement in the limits of detection was obtained with the ion-pair HPLC system. Different commercial nutritional selenium supplements were analysed by both chromatographic techniques after extraction with hot water. The efficiency of this extraction was in the range 80–95% for selenate and selenomethionine and 10–25% for selenoyeast-based supplements. Identification of some seleno compounds and quantification in supplement samples were easily and rapidly realised with the MassLynx™ software.

Determination of trace elements in human milk by inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS)

The potential of high resolution inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS) was evaluated to quantify reliably various toxic and essential elements (Al, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, As, Ag, Pt, Au, Pb) in human milk and infant formulae with respect to sensitivity, spectral and non-spectral interferences, blank levels, relative stability and accuracy. Some elements of potential interest such as Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co and As are significantly interfered by polyatomic ions and cannot be determined under routine conditions without using high mass resolution, since interference levels vary significantly with the composition of the milk matrix. A microconcentric nebuliser in combination with a membrane desolvation unit was tested with respect to signal enhancement and reduction of interferences. In general, an increase of the signal intensities up to a factor of 5 was observed, whereas not all spectral interferences can be reduced to a negligible amount (only oxide containing ions to some extent). Moreover the use of the N2 as the make-up gas did not improve the sensitivity but led to additional N-containing polyatomic interferences (e.g., for V, Cr and Mn). The use of a torch shielded by a Pt electrode did lead to the same signal intensities both for the conventional MCN100 and the MCN6000 with membrane desolvation. The investigation of In, Re, Ru, and Rh as internal standard showed that not all elements can be corrected for matrix suppression without using an additional correction factor derived from an approximate matrix composition. A series of milk samples was investigated using the optimised analytical set-up and compared to infant milk formulae. Trace element levels in instant milk formulae are significantly influenced by the quality of tap water used for preparation.

A comparison of nebulizers for microbore LC-ICP-MS with mobile phases containing methanol

A comparison was made between a glass concentric nebulizer, a microconcentric nebulizer (MCN), and a Micro Mist nebulizer for the introduction of mobile phases containing varying concentrations of methanol. For all nebulizers investigated, the signal remains constant with increasing sample flow rate at methanol concentrations greater than 20% of the mobile phase, even though the rate that sample reaches the plasma increases at increasing flow rates. A separation of tributlytin chloride (TBT) and triphenyltin chloride (TPhT) on a microbore reversed-phase HPLC column using a mobile phase consisting of 70% methanol, 29% water, 1% glacial acetic acid and 4 mM ion pair reagent was investigated. At a flow rate of 0.2 ml min−1, the absolute detection limits for the MCN were slightly higher than those obtained with the Micro Mist nebulizer or the glass concentric nebulizer. Precision and the linearity of the calibration curves were comparable for all three nebulizers.

A comparison of capillary electrophoresis using indirect UV absorbance and ICP-MS detection with a self-aspirating nebulizer interface

A comparison of capillary electrophoresis (CE) migration times using standard on-column UV detection and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is presented for two different CE separations. The first is a separation of five arsenic compounds, four anionic species and one neutral, using reverse polarity in a chromate buffer with an electroosmotic flow modifier. The second CE separation employs normal polarity for the separation of eleven lanthanide cations using a hydroxyisobutyric acid (HIBA) buffer with an indirect UV detection reagent. The CE-ICP-MS interface is based on a tee design which introduces a sheath flow around the CE capillary using a self-aspirating make-up electrolyte with a microconcentric nebulizer (MCN-100). Migration times observed for CE-ICP-MS electropherograms are comparable to migration times acquired with UV detection, and may be adjusted by changes in the make-up liquid level position. The precision of peak areas (<2%) and migration times (<4%) obtained using CE-ICP-MS is comparable to that obtained using online UV absorbance detection. CE-ICP-MS limits of detection are in the low ng ml−1 range for the analytes studied.

A multivariate study of the acid effect and the selection of internal standards for inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The effects of nitric acid concentration and liquid flow rate on the signals obtained with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer, operated with a microconcentric nebulizer (MCN-100), have been studied by the use of partial least squares regression. Thirteen elements, covering the mass range 51–238, were studied. The nitric acid concentration was varied in the range 0.14–2.8 mol l −1 and the acid effect was found to vary significantly between the elements — depending mainly on the value of the first ionisation potential of the element. The effect of the liquid flow rate was studied within the range 34.5–172.5 μl min −1 and it was only significant ( P=0.05) for 107Ag and 109Ag. It is possible to compensate completely for the acid matrix effect by the use of a proper internal standard. The use of multivariate analysis methods, e.g. partial least squares regression is recommended in order to choose the most suitable internal standards.

A 200 Year Record of Atmospheric Cobalt, Chromium, Molybdenum, and Antimony in High Altitude Alpine Firn and Ice

High altitude cold snow and ice cores from midlatitude mountain ranges have been used very little to obtain historical records of environmental contamination by heavy metals. Co, Cr, Mo, and Sb have been measured by DF-ICP-MS-MCN (double focusing inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with microconcentric nebulizer) in various sections of a 140 m snow/ice core drilled at a high altitude location near the summit of Mont Blanc in the French−Italian Alps. The bottom of the core is older than 200 years. It gives the first snow and ice time series for these metals of high environmental interest for the post Industrial Revolution period. Measured concentrations range from 26 to 433 pg/g for Co, from 8 to 469 pg/g for Cr, from 0.2 to 50 pg/g for Mo, and from 0.2 to 109 pg/g for Sb. For all four metals, concentrations in recent snow are found to be, on the average, significantly higher than concentrations in ice dated from before the middle of the 19th century. There are however differences in the timing and the amplitude of the observed increases from one metal to another. Mo shows the greatest increase (×16), followed by Sb (×5), and Co and Cr (×2−3). Contribution from natural sources is, on the average, limited except for Mo in ice dated from before the middle of the 19th century. For recent snow, contribution from oil and coal combustion is the dominating source for Co, Mo, and Sb. For Cr, on the other hand, the most important contribution is from iron, steel, and ferro-alloy industries.

Determination of Rh, Pd, and Pt in Polar and Alpine Snow and Ice by Double-Focusing ICPMS with Microconcentric Nebulization

The performance of a double-focusing inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer equipped with a microconcentric nebulizer was investigated for the direct simultaneous determination of Rh, Pd, and Pt in less than 1 mL of melted snow and ice samples originating from remote sites. Ultraclean procedures were adopted in the laboratories and during the pretreatment steps, to avoid possible contamination problems. Spectroscopic and nonspectroscopic interferences affecting the determination of Rh, Pd, and Pt were carefully considered. Detection limits of 0.02, 0.08, and 0.008 pg g(-)(1) for Rh, Pd, and Pt, respectively, were obtained using the following isotopes: (103)Rh, (106)Pd, and (195)Pt. Repeatability of measurements, as RSD, was 27, 28, and 29%, for Rh, Pd, and Pt, respectively. The new method was applied to the analysis of samples coming from Greenland, Antarctica, and the Alps in order to assess the past natural background concentrations and to determine the present level of these polluting substances. The extremely low detection limits allowed the direct analysis of all samples except for two Greenland ice core sections dating from 7260 and 7760 years ago for which a preconcentration step was necessary. Concentration ranges for all snow samples were (in pg g(-)(1)) as follows: Rh (0.0005-0.39), Pd (0.01-16.9), and Pt (0.008-2.7). The lowest concentrations were measured in the enriched Greenland ancient ice samples.

Automated matrix separation and preconcentration for the trace level determination of metal impurities in ultrapure inorganic salts by high-resolution ICP-MS

A rapid and simple analytical method for the determination of transition metals and rare earth elements at sub-ng/g levels in alkaline and earth alkaline salt matrices was developed. Automated solid-phase extraction was utilized for matrix separation and analyte preconcentration from highly concentrated brine solutions. The HPLC system used was equipped with a chelation column packed with an iminodiacetate-based resin. Detection was accomplished by means of high-resolution inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), which allowed quasi-simultaneous multi-element determinations. A microconcentric nebulizer was employed for HR-ICP-MS to determine the elements of interest in small volumes of sample extracts. The method was shown to be very sensitive with limits of quantification in the range of 1–40 ng/g for all investigated elements. The method exhibited excellent precisions, high analyte recoveries, linear responses of least three orders of magnitude, high accuracy and low contamination susceptibility. A comparison of automated solid-phase extraction with methodologies utilizing traditional liquid-liquid extraction showed that the former offered similar analytical performance but was clearly easier to use and faster to perform, resulting in substantial time, labor and cost savings.