Current portable detection devices used in environmental analysis are based on spectroscopic methods such as XRF or NIR, which are poor at both quantifying and determining the species of materials analysed. The new field-deployable CE-SCAN can generate rapid, reliable and detailed data. The unit uses capillary electrophoresis (CE) to separate, identify and quantify mineral analytes, offering more informative analysis, greater accuracy, and the ability to detect a wide range of substances without interferences. CE-SCANs primary application serves the fields of mining and mineral exploration.