Recent advances in flow-based sample pretreatment for the determination of metal species by atomic spectrometry

During the last few years, various flow-based separation/preconcentration methodologies have gained pertinent novel advances and exhibited powerful capability in the field of sample pretreatment and their hyphenation with detection by atomic spectrometry. The present mini-review presents and discusses the progress of flow-based sample processing approaches commonly used for the assay of trace elemental species with detection by atomic spectrometry, including preliminary sample pretreatment, solid phase extraction (including solid phase microextraction), liquid-liquid extraction, vapor generation and dialysis techniques. Special emphasis has been paid on the novel applications and analytical procedures hyphenated with atomic spectrometry. The future perspectives of flow-based sample pretreatment protocols in the determination of trace elements and their speciation are also discussed.