DETERMINATION OF GERMANIUM, ARSENIC, SELENIUM, TIN AND ANTIMONY IN COMPLEX SAMPLES BY HYDRIDE GENERATION - MICROWAVE-INDUCED PLASMA ATOMIC-EMISSION SPECTROMETRY

This paper describes the utilisation of a semi-automatic hydride generation device coupled to a microwave-induced argon-helium plasma that is used with a 0.5-m monochromator for the analysis of germanium, arsenic, selenium, tin and antimony in several complex samples. Incorporated in the system are a condensation tube and a Chromosorb 102 column that are used to separate the analyte species from hydrogen evolved during the course of the generation reaction, and to separate the analytes from condensed contaminants that cause spectral background interferences. Results reported are standard recoveries and relative precision for germanium, arsenic, selenium, tin and antimony in whole blood and in enriched flour. Also reported are arsenic and antimony values for NBS orchard leaves. Results obtained on complex samples are compared with the precision obtained for aqueous standards.