Developments in the application of gas chromatography with atomic emission (plus mass spectrometric) detection

Capillary gas chromatography with atomic emission detection is a highly element-selective and sensitive detection technique for many non-metal as well as metallic elements. A 3–5 order of magnitude element/carbon selectivity, compound-independent calibration and the possibility to calculate (partial) molecular formulae are some of the attractive features of the technique. In the present review, the emphasis is on real-life applications for non-metals such as sulphur, phosphorus, nitrogen and the halogens, and on the potential of combined atomic emission/mass spectrometric detection.