The importance of analytical chemistry in environmental geochemistry studies in Mexico

Abstract

This review presents environmental geochemistry studies developed in Mexico involving analytical chemistry applied to marine, lake, lagoon, dam, and fluvial sediments, soils, and groundwater over the past 15 years. The paper summarizes the objectives of the research, the analytical methods that were used, the methodologies applied for the interpretation of the results, and the primary findings for the areas and specific substrates that were studied. Although diverse analytical techniques were applied, atomic absorption spectrometry was the primary method of analysis, followed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Studies are widespread in the Mexican territory although some areas are still lacking in information; in addition, most of the country’s contamination problems have yet to be remediated.