The Top 10 Most Influential Applications of Atomic Spectroscopy in Environmental Analysis (2024-2026)

Atomic spectroscopy remains foundational to environmental chemical analysis. Between 2024 and 2026, key publications advanced plasma-source design, reaction-cell mass spectrometry, matrix-effect correction strategies, microextraction methods, and comparative analytical validation. This article reviews 10 influential works spanning critical review papers, methodological innovations, and comparative performance studies in X-ray fluorescence (XRF), inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Emphasis is placed on developments that improved detection limits, robustness in complex matrices, field deployability, chemometric integration, and cost-effectiveness. Collectively, these contributions define the state of the art and outline the trajectory of environmental atomic spectrometry.

Introduction

Environmental monitoring demands analytical techniques capable of measuring trace and ultra-trace elements across diverse matrices—airborne particulates, marine sediments, contaminated soils, plants, and seawater—often at sub-µg/kg levels. Atomic spectrometry techniques, including X-ray fluorescence (XRF), inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), continue to dominate due to their sensitivity, multielement capability, and expanding adaptability to field and laboratory workflows.

The 2024–2026 literature reflects 3 dominant trends: refinement of interference removal strategies, especially in ICP-MS/MS; matrix-effect correction and calibration improvements in XRF; and greener, faster, and more field-deployable sample preparation and plasma sources. The 10 papers reviewed below represent influential contributions to the field during this period.

1. Atomic Spectrometry Update—Environmental Analysis (2024)

Bacon et al published the annual update in the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, providing a sweeping synthesis of developments across air, water, soil, and geological analysis.¹ The review highlighted oxygen-mediated mass-shift chemistry for sulfur determination by ICP-MS, advances in diffusive gradients in thin films preconcentration, renewed interest in arsenic speciation, and expanded use of portable XRF for contaminated site screening. This paper is influential because it integrates incremental methodological improvements into a coherent narrative that guides laboratory practice globally. It emphasizes validation gaps in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) studies and calls for closer collaboration between plasma physicists and environmental geochemists. As the benchmark annual review, it shaped research priorities and regulatory expectations throughout 2024-2025.

2. ICP-MS vs XRF for Screening Soil for Potentially Toxic Elements (2025)

Guagliardi et al, writing in the journal Toxics, performed a rigorous statistical comparison of ICP-MS and XRF for potentially toxic elements in soil.² Using correlation analysis and Bland-Altman plots, they identified systematic biases, particularly XRF underestimation of vanadium (V), and significant method-dependent differences for strontium (Sr), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), and zinc (Zn). This study is influential because it moves beyond simple correlation and applies robust statistical diagnostics to method comparison. For regulators and remediation professionals, the work clarifies when portable or benchtop XRF can substitute for ICP-MS and when laboratory confirmation is mandatory. It directly impacts field-screening protocols and contamination assessment strategies.

3. Atomic Spectrometry Update—Environmental Analysis (2025)

Cairns et al extended the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry (JAAS) update series in 2025, documenting advances in microplastic detection, wearable black carbon sensors, and hyphenated ICP-MS systems for airborne metallic particles.³ Reaction-cell behavior studies in ICP-MS/MS and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven chemometrics in geochemical datasets were also emphasized. This review is influential because it documents the transition from ionic analysis toward particle characterization and plastic pollution monitoring. It signals a paradigm shift: environmental atomic spectrometry is expanding beyond dissolved analytes to micro- and nanomaterials. With this development, atomic spectrometry’s impact spans the air-quality sciences and the nanoparticle research communities.

4. Advances in Metals and Materials Analysis (2024)

Bolea-Fernandez et al provided a comprehensive update in JAAS focusing on metals and materials.⁴ Data reduction strategies for LIBS and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) and machine-learning (ML)–assisted classification were central themes, alongside multimodal instrumentation combining complementary techniques on a single platform. This work is influential because it underscores data science as the dominant driver of innovation. The integration of chemometrics and machine learning into plasma spectrometry workflows is reshaping environmental provenance studies and forensic geochemistry. The paper frames LIBS as an emerging mainstream environmental analysis tool.

5. Matrix Effect Correction in WDXRF for Contaminated Soils (2026)

Chuparina et al, in Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy, systematically evaluated matrix-effect corrections for wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) quantification of Cu, Zn, As, and Pb in industrially contaminated soils.⁵ Standard Compton and α-correction methods failed under severe compositional variation, but a combined Compton–empirical α_ij-correction (alpha coefficient method) reduced residual standard deviation errors dramatically by mathematically compensating for interelement matrix effects that would otherwise distort the measured X-ray intensities. This study is influential because it provides a validated pathway for extending WDXRF into highly heterogeneous contamination scenarios. It demonstrates that classical corrections are insufficient in extreme matrices and proposes a hybrid correction strategy. For environmental soil laboratories, this is a practical and immediately adoptable advancement.

6. ICP-MS, CV-ICP-OES, and TDA-AAS for Mercury in Marine Sediments (2024)

Provete et al, publishing in the journal ACS Omega, compared 3 Hg determination techniques.⁶ After correcting for sample dilution, the method limits of quantification (LOQs), the lowest concentrations measurable with acceptable accuracy and precision, varied significantly across the different analytical techniques. Thermal decomposition amalgamation–atomic absorption spectroscopy (TDA-AAS), which thermally decomposes samples and traps mercury vapor on a gold surface for atomic absorption measurement, achieved the lowest LOQ at 0.35 µg/kg. Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), a highly sensitive technique that ionizes samples in plasma and measures ions by mass, had an LOQ of 1.9 µg/kg. In contrast, cold vapor–ICP-optical emission spectrometry (CV-ICP-OES), which reduces mercury to elemental vapor for optical detection, exhibited a much higher LOQ of 165 µg/kg, demonstrating a lower sensitivity than the other methods under the study conditions.

Statistical comparison indicated that ICP-MS and TDA-AAS produced equivalent concentration values within analytical uncertainty, demonstrating comparable performance at low concentrations. CV-ICP-OES, however, lacked sufficient sensitivity for trace-level measurements, as evidenced by its substantially higher LOQ, making it less suitable for detecting low mercury concentrations in this study.

This paper is influential because it highlights the difference between instrumental and method detection limits, an often overlooked regulatory consideration. It also challenges the assumption that ICP-MS is always superior, demonstrating that direct-sampling TDA-AAS can outperform ICP-OES variants in real sediment matrices.

7. Advances in ICP-OES for Plant Analysis (2024)

Senila’s review in Molecules surveyed recent developments in ICP-OES for analysis of plant matrices.⁷ Emphasis was placed on green extraction methods, microextractions, validation practices, and figures of merit. This article is influential because it reaffirms ICP-OES as a robust, cost-effective technique 50 years after commercialization. In food safety and agricultural monitoring, where throughput and moderate detection limits suffice, ICP-OES remains indispensable. The review consolidates best practices for reliable plant-element analysis, which is important for ecosystem and environmental monitoring.

8. MICAP-OES for Complex Matrices (2024)

Serrano et al, in the journal Talanta, evaluated microwave-sustained inductively coupled atmospheric-pressure plasma (MICAP) for complex environmental matrices.⁸ The MICAP analytical technique showed matrix robustness comparable to ICP-OES and had the advantage of reduced sensitivity to saline interferences. This work is influential because it validates an alternative plasma source capable of lower power consumption and potentially reduced operational costs. MICAP’s real-time simultaneous analysis and effective internal standardization position it as a credible competitor to traditional ICP-OES for environmental analysis.

9. DLLAPE Preconcentration for Seawater Using ICP-OES (2024)

Guijarro-Ramírez et al, as detailed in the journal ACS Omega, developed a dispersive liquid–liquid aerosol phase extraction method for Ag, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Pb in seawater.⁹ Procedural LOQs reached sub-µg/L levels with acceptable recoveries and uncertainties. This study is influential because it demonstrates how microextraction can extend ICP-OES into lower concentration regimes traditionally reserved for ICP-MS. By improving sensitivity without resorting to mass spectrometry, it offers cost-effective monitoring solutions for marine environments.

10. ICP-MS/MS in Environmental and Geological Applications (2025)

Balaram et al, publishing in the journal Environmental Earth Sciences, reviewed tandem ICP-MS/MS with reaction-cell technology.¹⁰ The work details interference removal strategies using gases such as O₂, H₂, NH₃, and N₂O, enabling accurate isotopic analysis from Li to U at pg/mL levels. This review is among the most influential because ICP-MS/MS represents the most transformative advancement in plasma mass spectrometry in 2 decades. Its capacity for mass-shift and on-mass measurements dramatically expands environmental isotope studies, geochronology, and trace-metal analysis with reduced spectral interference.

Final Summary

Collectively, these 10 publications define the state-of-the-art in environmental atomic spectroscopy between 2024 and 2026. The literature reveals a balance between innovation (ICP-MS/MS, MICAP, AI-driven data processing) and critical validation (method comparisons, matrix corrections, detection-limit realism). The field is increasingly interdisciplinary, integrating chemometrics, materials science, and environmental toxicology.

Conclusion

Atomic spectroscopy continues to advance in response to environmental complexity. Reaction-cell mass spectrometry, advanced XRF correction strategies, green microextraction, and alternative plasma sources expand analytical reach while improving robustness and sustainability. Importantly, several influential studies emphasize rigorous validation and realistic detection limits, reminding practitioners that analytical excellence depends as much on method design as on instrumental sophistication. The 2024 to 2026 period will likely be remembered as one in which environmental atomic spectrometry matured into a more data-driven, interference-resilient, and field-deployable discipline.

References

1. Bacon, J. R.; Butler, O. T.; Cairns, W. R. et al. Atomic Spectrometry Update—A Review of Advances in Environmental Analysis. J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 2024, 39, 11–65. DOI: 10.1039/D0JA90074E

2. Guagliardi, I.; Ricca, N.; Cicchella, D. Comparative Evaluation of ICP-MS and XRF for Screening Potentially Toxic Elements in Soil. Toxics 2025, 13, 314. DOI: 10.3390/toxics13040314

3. Cairns, W. R.; Butler, O. T.; Cavoura, O. et al. Atomic Spectrometry Update—A Review of Advances in Environmental Analysis. J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 2025, 40, 11–69. DOI: 10.1039/D4JA90056A

4. Bolea-Fernandez, E.; Clough, R.; Fisher, A. et al. Atomic Spectrometry Update: Review of Advances in the Analysis of Metals, Chemicals, and Materials. J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 2024, 39, 2617–2693. DOI: 10.1039/D4JA90052A

5. Chuparina, E. V.; Belogolova, G. A.; Baenguev, B. A.; et al. Choosing a Matrix Effects Correction Method to Quantify Cu, Zn, As and Pb in Industrially Contaminated Soils by WDXRF. Spectrochim. Acta Part B. 2026, 107497. DOI: 10.1016/j.sab.2026.107497

6. Provete, C. S.; Dalfior, B. M.; Mantovaneli, R. et al. Comparison of ICP-MS, CV-ICP-OES, and TDA-AAS for Determining Mercury in Marine Sediments. ACS Omega. 2024, 9, 49229–49238. DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c06144

7. Senila, M. Recent Advances in the Determination of Major and Trace Elements in Plants Using ICP-OES. Molecules 2024, 29, 3169. DOI: 10.3390/molecules29133169

8. Serrano, R.; Grindlay, G.; Gras, L.; Mora, J. Microwave-sustained Inductively Coupled Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma for Elemental Analysis of Complex Matrices. Talanta 2024, 271, 125666. DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.125666

9. Guijarro-Ramírez, N.; Sánchez, R.; Todolí, J. L. Development of a Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Aerosol Phase Extraction Method for the Quantification of Ag, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Pb in Seawater by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy. ACS Omega 2024, 9, 29422–29430. DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c01615

10. Balaram, V.; Glorie, S.; Gilbert, S. E.; Perumalsamy, C. Geochemical, Geochronological, and Environmental Applications of Tandem ICP-MS/MS: A Review. Environ. Earth Sci. 2025, 84, 1–30. DOI: 10.1007/s12665-025-12611-8