An environmental case history of the platinum group metals

Book chapter, 2001

During recent years the use of the platinum group metals (PGMs) has increased dramatically, mainly as a catalyst for the removal of pollutants in automobile exhaust. The increasing use of platinum and more recently palladium and rhodium has raised questions concerning their release into the environment and the related ecological and human health risks. The potential problems caused by the presence of PGMs in the environment can only be assessed through a clear understanding of their environmental pathways, transformations and speciation. In early years, research was dedicated to the difficult task of the determination of total concentrations, but increasingly research groups are trying to provide this clear understanding and this can only be achieved through developments in speciation analysis. This article gives an insight into platinum group metal research with a particular focus on speciation.