Environmental applications of mass spectrometry

The 1975 publications reporting organic and spark source mass spectrometric studies on environmental samples were compiled. Emphasis was placed on pollutants identified rather than methods and techniques used, and reports that did not incorporate data obtained by a technique's application were not included. The 272 reports cited vary from those reporting hundreds of identified pollutants to those describing the analysis of only one sample containing one or a few pollutants. The following sample types were not considered to be environmental samples: forensic samples, synthetic or 'standard' samples, and samples analyzed for drug residues.