Although high-performance liquid chromatography with inductively-coupled mass spectrometry (HPLCICP-
MS) has established itself as the analytical technique of choice for elemental speciation analysis, there
are remaining limitations, mainly concerning post-column dispersion effects and degradation of the ICP
stability and ionization efficiency due to organic or saline mobile phases. The application of small-bore
columns in conjunction with low dead-volume interfaces has proved very useful for overcoming these
problems, since they can provide lower matrix load and reduced peak dispersion, along with minimization
of sample size and solvent consumption, faster chromatographic separations, and better resolution
and sensitivity. Since we expect more work to be reported in this area, we review recent research in the
field of speciation analysis by small-bore HPLC-ICP-MS, with the emphasis on significant advances in
methods and instrumentation, relevant applications and current limitations