A d.c. are emission spectrographic method is described for the determination of ppm levels of In, La, Nb and Sr in thorium oxide. The method permits determination of the above low and high volatile impurity elements in thoria using AgCl as carrier in an atmosphere of oxygen. The carrier-distillation technique reported makes possible the following range of estimations: In : 1–50 ppm; La, Nb : 10–500 ppm and Sr: 2–100 ppm. The method is simple and rapid and its precision ranges from 14% for In to 18% for Nb. Observations made on the choice of carrier and internal standard are presented.