Trace Enrichment Methods for the Determination of Metal Ions by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

Trace enrichment and high performance liquid chromatography have been studied for the determination of trace concentrations of metal ions. An inert enrichment system gave quantitative recoveries of metal ions from aqueous solutions at the ng/ml and pg/ml levels, and when interfaced to a high performance chromatograph equipped with a post-column-reactor detector, simultaneous enrichment and analysis were possible. Examples of applications to the analysis of nuclear reactor coolant and natural waters are given. Column efficiencies are compared for both bonded-phase and conventional ion-exchange resins, and some of the factors affecting column efficiency are discussed.