This International Standard specifies a method for the determination of dissolved elements, elements bound to particles (“particulate”) and total content of elements in different types of water (e.g. ground, surface, raw, potable and waste water) for the following elements: aluminium, antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, bismuth, boron, cadmium, calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, indium, iron, lead, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, silicon, silver, sodium, strontium, sulfur, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, zinc and zirconium. Taking into account the specific and additionally occurring interferences, these elements can also be determined in digests of water, sludges and sediments (for example, digests of water as specified in ISO 15587-1 or ISO 15587-2). The method is suitable for mass concentrations of particulate matter in waste water below 2 g/l. The scope of this method may be extended to other matrices or to higher amounts of particulate matter if it can be shown that additionally occurring interferences are considered and corrected for carefully. It is up to the user to demonstrate the fitness for purpose. Recommended wavelengths, limits of quantification and important spectral interferences for the selected elements are given in Table 1.