Journal of Chromatography A, 975 (2002) 245–266 www.elsevier.com / locate / chroma Review Capillary electrophoresis–inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry: an attractive complementary technique for elemental speciation analysis 1 1 Sasi S. Kannamkumarath, Katarzyna Wrobel , Kazimierz Wrobel , Clayton B’Hymer, * Joseph A. Caruso Department of Chemistry, Mail location 0172, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0172, USA Received 3 May 2002; received in revised form 9 August 2002; accepted 12 August 2002 Abstract Some basic and practical aspects of interfacing capillary electrophoresis to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (CE–ICP-MS) are reviewed in this article with emphasis on the use of this hyphenated technique for elemental speciation analysis. The principles behind the techniques of both CE and ICP-MS are introduced. The interfacing of CE to ICP-MS is discussed including several devices and nebulizers reported in literature. A brief account of their advantages and limitations is given. The various CE–ICP-MS applications for elemental speciation analysis are also reviewed. Some issues concerning the future of CE–ICP-MS for the elemental speciation analyses are discussed.  2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Reviews; Elemental speciation analysis; Capillary electrophoresis; Nebulizers; Interfaces; Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................ 246 2. Capillary electrophoresis .......................................................................................................................................................... 247 3. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.......................................................................................................................... 248 4. Interfacing capillary electrophoresis to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry ................................................................. 249 4.1. Practical considerations of interfacing............................................................................................................................... 249 4.2. Nebulizers ...................................................................................................................................................................... 252 4.3. Interfaces ....................................................................................................................................................................... 254 5. Applications in elemental speciation analysis ............................................................................................................................ 255 5.1. Arsenic and selenium ...................................................................................................................................................... 255 *Corresponding author. Tel.: 11-513-556-5858; fax: 11-513-556-0142. E-mail address: joseph.caruso@uc.edu (J.A. Caruso). 1 At the University of Cincinnati while on the leave from Instituto de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad de Guanajuato, L. de Retana o N 5, 36000 Guanajuato, Mexico. 0021-9673 / 02 / $ – see front matter  2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S0021-9673(02)01218-9