IC-ICP/MS for Mercury Speciation Analysis

In the past, measuring total amounts of an element in a sample was sufficient; however this did not provide the full information on the level of toxicity of the different mercury forms. It has become critical for food, environmental, and pharmaceutical analysis to distinguish between the organic and inorganic chemical forms of mercury. In speciation analysis the separation of individual ionic species is done by Ion Chromatography (IC) and followed by trace elemental detection and quantification using Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy (ICP/MS). Combining synergistic methods, such as IC and ICP-MS, can provide the total solution and solve complex problems.