Assessing rapid chemical-elemental reactions in soils is significantly inhibited by the spatial and
temporal resolution of current sampling techniques [RhizonTM samplers, diffusive gradients in thin
films (DGTs)]1
. Soil chemistry is typically investigated over hours-days-weeks and with poor
sampling density; the vast majority of reactions occur within seconds-minutes. Microdialysis
(MD) is a new technique in the field of soil science that uses small probes to sample compounds
dissolved in soil solution, with minimal disturbance to the external environment2
. Initially
developed for use in neuroscience, MD has the potential for translation to environmental
geochemistry to define soil chemical/physical parameters, and better inform predictive models for
soil-to-plant transfer of potentially harmful elements (PHEs) or essential nutrients. One
considerable experimental challenge for MD is balancing the target analyte recovery efficiency
with the sample volume required for the analytical chemistry technique, which can significantly
affect how often elemental speciation changes and soil fixation events can be measured3
. To
overcome this challenge, we have begun development of a novel integrated online MD sampling
and analysis technique, through direct coupling of MD probes with triple quadrupole inductively
coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-QQQ) using a microflow total consumption nebulizer
with no additional modifications. This poster will present the initial setup, optimisation and
application of the technique to the sampling and analysis of multiple elements in soil solution,
alongside future perspectives on how information gained from this promising technique can
contribute to the management of global societal and agricultural issues (e.g. nutrient supply to
staple crops, contaminated land remediation)