Recent advances in GC-ICP-MS: Focus on the current and future impact of MS/MS technology

Because of its intrinsic characteristics, ICP-MS is widely considered to be a powerful element-selective detector in gas chromatography analysis for diverse applications. In particular, GC-ICP-MS has proven very useful for classical organometallics analysis (i.e. Sn, Pb, Hg and As) in environmental-, biological- and industrial-related samples. However, it suffered so far, from severe spectral interferences on certain key elements (i.e. P, S, Si and Cl) that limited significantly its potential application fields. In this review, we would like to introduce the potential and improvements in GC-ICP-MS speciation analysis as a result of the arrival of MS/MS configuration which has been established as the best instrumental choice for the extremely sensitive and robustness analysis of such highly-interfered elements present in numerous potential targets (i.e. pesticides, siloxanes, petroleum- and biogas-related products) in complex sample matrices. Recent advances (2010–2020) and expected new exciting applications now affordable as a consequence of the use of GC-ICP-MS/MS are summarized and discussed.