Recent trends in the analysis of trace elements in the field of environmental research: A review

Abstract

Abstract Monitoring of trace elements concentration in various types of sample matrices is an important research theme in the field of pollution and health hazards. Various research laboratories and regulatory agencies are using several analytical techniques for routinely monitoring and quantification of TEs from water, air, soil, and plant samples. Knowledge of the basic principles and application range of different analytical techniques is a prerequisite for the selection of the technique to be used, which in turn dictates the sampling and sample preparation processes. In this paper, we have discussed the principles and comparative advantages and limitations of the most commonly used analytical techniques such as atomic absorption spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, X-ray fluorescence etc., for trace element quantification in environmental samples. Based on the review, the article provides guidelines for the selection of techniques as well as for the preparation of different sample matrices. The popularity of different techniques was judged from a survey of recent publications (140 articles) which revealed that inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry are most dominating technique in the analytical field for the last decade.