Nanomaterials in speciation analysis of mercury, arsenic, selenium, and chromium by analytical atomic/molecular spectrometry

The toxicity of elements largely depends on their chemical forms. Therefore, the elemental speciation analysis is of great importance and a hot topic in environmental science and engineering, food science, and biology. The use of nanomaterials in spectrometric detection provides a convenient, versatile, and sensitive technique for elemental speciation analysis. In this concise review, we aim to provide a brief overview of the versatility of nanomaterials in spectrometric elemental speciation analysis with focus on four elements: mercury, arsenic, chromium, and selenium. Various types of nanomaterials, together with their roles in the speciation analysis developed with prevailing spectrometric techniques, are discussed. We also offer an insight into the research trend of the application of nanomaterials for chemical speciation analysis.