by Gene Hall (Guest Editor), Begoña González (Guest Editor)
Due to their potential to affect human health and ecosystems, trace elements, such as heavy metals and other elements at extremely low concentrations, are garnering increasing scientific attention. Even at trace levels, they can serve as sensitive indicators of environmental contamination, geological processes, human activities, and climate variability. This Reprint presents cutting-edge research on detecting, separating, and quantifying trace elements in environmental samples. It highlights advanced analytical strategies (ICP-MS, ICP-OES, EDXRF, LIBS) and robust approaches to sample preparation and the identification of chemical species. Addressing complex matrices such as water, soil, sediments, and aerosols, it provides critical perspectives for enhancing environmental monitoring, contamination assessment, and risk evaluation.
