Ion chromatography: a new technique for clinical chemistry.

Ion chromatography is a new analytical technique in which the ions to be analyzed are separated on a special pellicular ion-exchange column. Once separated, the effluent from the separating column passes into a second ion-exchange column, which removes the eluent or buffer ions from the moving phase without removing the sample ions, which are detected and measured by electrical conductivity on a background of low conductance. Trace quantities can be so determined. This technique has been applied to four biological fluids: blood serum, tissue extract, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid. It is shown to be a practical analytical tool, particularly for ions having no chromophores, such as sodium, ammonium, potassium, magensium, calcium, chloride, nitrite, phosphate, and sulfate.