Speciation in the environmental field - trends in Analytical Chemistry

The need for speciation-related information in environmental chemistry is critically evaluated. Recent advances in the analysis for volatile or volatizable organometallic compounds and redox states are presented. They include microwave-assisted extraction for the leaching of analytes and the solubilization of tissues, multicapillary gas chromatography, and integration of the sample preparation and separation steps in a single speciation-dedicated instrument. Particular attention is given to the needs for speciation analysis in environmental biota: plant and animal tissues. The areas discussed include speciation of selenium and arsenic, analytical chemistry of metal complexes with phytochelatins and metallothioneins, the need for the identification of metal enzymes and co-enzymes and their role in the biosynthesis of metal complexes. The status of the rapidly emerging field of bioinorganic analytical chemistry is discussed.