Speciation analysis for iodine in groundwater using high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS)

Methods based on high performance liquid chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) for iodine speciation analysis are described. Experiments were performed relating to iodine species, preservative medium and time. The concentration and pH of the buffer are also discussed in relation to separation efficiency. The developed methods allowed the fast and sensitive determination of iodine species with detection limits of 0.025 mu g l(-1) (as l) for both iodide and iodate with < 5% relative standard deviation (RSD) for 50 nmol l(-1). Attempts were made to quantify total organo-iodine by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). By way of example, a number of groundwater samples were analysed by these methods, revealing that iodide is the main iodine species in the sampled waters, but that high concentrations of organo-iodine compounds were observed in some samples as well. In summary, the total concentration and the dominant species of iodine in aquatic freshwater environments is easily and accurately measured using this new method.