Name two common analytical methods for environmental monitoring of metals.

• A. Gas Chromatography and UV-Vis Spectroscopy.
• B. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).
• C. pH meter and conductivity.
• D. X-ray fluorescence and Raman.

Answer: (B)

Measuring metals in environmental samples is best done with techniques that directly quantify elemental concentrations with high sensitivity. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy uses atomized samples to measure how much light specific metal atoms absorb at their characteristic wavelengths. This makes it straightforward and reliable for determining particular metals, especially when you’re testing one element at a time or a small panel of elements.

Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry goes further by ionizing the sample in a plasma and then separating and counting ions by their mass. This method is extremely sensitive, has a wide dynamic range, and can analyze many elements simultaneously, making it ideal for trace-metal surveys in water, soil, sediments, and biological samples.

Other options don’t fit as broadly for metals: gas chromatography targets volatile organic compounds rather than metals; UV-Vis can work for certain metal complexes but isn’t universally applicable or as sensitive for many metals in diverse environmental matrices; pH and conductivity measure general solution properties, not metal concentrations; X-ray fluorescence and Raman have roles in certain solid samples or structural analysis but often with higher detection limits or limited applicability to trace metals in liquids.