AUTOMATIC CORRECTION OF ABSORPTION PULSES IN ZEEMAN GRAPHITE-FURNACE ATOMIC-ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY

An algorithm is proposed that permits automation of the method described earlier (Spectrochim. Acta 47B, 1411 (1992)) for restoration of reversed (with dips) absorption pulses in Zeeman graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The algorithm has been tested on two elements, Ag and Cd. Optimal algorithm parameters, namely the required number of smoothing points by the technique Of SAVITZKY and GOLAY (Anal. Chem. 36, 1627 (1964)) and the criterion of the dip appearance, were chosen. The results of automatic search for the dip region boundaries have been found to coincide with the visual localization of the dip. The maximum relative standard deviation of 5.6% for Ag and 3.3% for Cd was found to correspond to pulses with a barely discernible dip. The program was written in BASIC for the Data Station 3600 computer.