An RP-HPLC method for the separation and determination of aluminium(III), vanadium(V), iron(III), copper(II) and nickel(II) with CALKS (Chromazol KS) and PAR ([4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol]) chelating on a YWG-ODS column was developed. A mixture of methanol-tetrahydrofuran(THF)-water (60:5:35 v/v) containing 0.2 mol/L LiCl, 5 × 10 -5 mol/L CALKS, 5 × 10 -5 mol/L PAR and acetate buffer solution (pH 4.9) was selected as mobile phase. The method has high sensitivity, with the detection limits being

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... ng/mL for aluminium(III), 3.5 ng/mL for vanadium(V), 10.4 ng/mL for iron(III), 6.3 ng/mL for copper(II) and 8.7 ng/mL for nickel(II). It also has good selectivity, so that most foreign metal ions do not interfere under the optimum conditions. The method can be applied to the simultaneous determination of trace amounts of aluminium, vanadium, iron, copper and nickel in rice and flour samples.