ABSTRACT: Novel methods for the determination of inorganic oxyanions by electrospray (ES) ionization mass spectrometry have been developed using dehydration reactions between oxyanions and carboxylic acids at the ES interface. Twelve oxyanions (VO3 (-) , CrO4 (2-) , MoO4 (2-) , WO4 (2-) , BO3 (3-) , SiO3 (2-) , SiO4 (4-) , AsO4 (4-) , AsO2 (-) , SeO4 (2-) , SeO3 (2-) and NO2 (-) ), out of 16 tested, reacted with at least one of four aminopolycarboxylic acids, i.e. iminodiacetic acid (IDA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid and triethylenetetramine-N,N,N',N″,N'″,N'″-hexaacetic acid, at the ES interface to produce the dehydration products that gave intense mass ion responses, sufficient for trace analysis. As examples, trace determinations of Cr(VI) a
