The use of a plasma mass spectrometer for quantitative analysis was demonstrated for the first time in Europe at an international geochemistry symposium in Helsinki in 1983. Geochemists have been waiting for such a sensitive analytical instrument for many years for various reasons: The concentration of many elements in the earth's crust and in natural waters is often below the detection limits of conventional analytical techniques. Many of these elements are of great concern in terms of environmental pollution (e.g. Be, As, Se, Mo, Cd, Hg and Tl). It is necessary to preconcentrate elements before analysis for most other laboratory procedures (e.g. heavy metals in water, rare earth elements and gold). Trace elements are becoming more and more important in the study of geochemical processes and mineral exploration. The method offers the possibility of multi-element analysis with high sensitivity. The urgent need to reduce human interference in the complex chemistry of the biosphere is already painfully clear, e.g. forest decline, pollution of drinking water, rivers, lakes, or the North Sea. Several examples of the application of the method will be discussed which have been handled within a geological survey.