EVALUATION OF THE DIRECT-INJECTION NEBULIZER IN THE COUPLING OF HIGHPERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY TO INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA-MASS SPECTROMETRY

A direct injection nebulizer (DIN) was designed and constructed, It was used in coupling high-performance liquid chromatography to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the speciation of chromium. Speciation of chromium using a concentric nebulizer and the DIN was investigated. Using a slight modification in the chromatographic conditions, the speciation of chromium was achieved on a microbore column. The absolute detection limit for both Cr-III and Cr-VI was 3 pg. The DIN was used to run the National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material (SRM) 2670 Toxic Metals in Freeze Dried Urine, Elevated Level.