MICROSCALE FLOW-INJECTION AND MICROBORE HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY COUPLED WITH INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA-MASS SPECTROMETRY VIA A HIGH-EFFICIENCY NEBULIZER

A high-efficiency nebulizer has been used for coupling microscale now injection and microbore high-performance liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The microscale now injection system was configured to minimize band broadening between the injection valve and the nebulizer, and it was evaluated for now rates between 20 and 120 mu L/min. Various materials, including certified reference materials, were analyzed for their arsenic and lead contents, Separation of arsenic species was carried out on microbore liquid chromatography columns. The absolute detection limits (femtogram range) for various arsenic compounds were excellent compared with those obtained previously by using conventional column (1 mL/min eluent now) high-performance liquid chromatography/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, Other advantages of this system include use of small sample volumes (less than or equal to 1 mu L), the resulting minimization of sample matrix introduction into the plasma, and reduced waste generation compared with conventional ICPMS sampling systems.