Capillary electrophoretic analysis of inorganic anions in atmospheric hailstone samples

A new application of capillary electrophoresis (CE) for measuring inorganic anions in hailstones was carried out. Five hailstone specimens were collected from large blocks of ice that fell in January 2000 in some provinces of Spain. Sample handling and preparation procedures were performed with care. CE analysis of anions was carried out using indirect UV detection at 254 nm with a negative power supply (-15 kV) and hydrostatic injection (10 cm for 30 s) at 35 degrees C. Anion separation was completed in less than 4 min. The working electrolyte consisted of 4.7 mM sodium chromate, 4.0 mM OFM-OH (tetradecyltrimethylammonium hydroxide), 10 mM CHES [2-(N-cyclohexylamino)ethanesulfonic acid], and 0.1 mM calcium gluconate (pH 9.1). Good repeatability of migration times after eight injections (<0.7% RSD), adequate linearity responses (r2>0.9) as well as satisfactory detection limits (<0.35 ppm) were achieved. The analytical results provided by CE were compared with those obtained by traditional wet-chemical (WCH) methods. Most of the results obtained by CE were consistent with those of WCH, except for one sample.