ONLINE TRACE PRECONCENTRATION MATRIX SEPARATION BY HIGH-PERFORMANCE FLOW ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY (HPF-FLAME AAS) - TRACE DETERMINATION IN ALUMINUM AND IN DRINKING-WATER

In HPF-atomic spectrometry a high-performance flow/hydraulic high-pressure nebulization (HPF/HHPN) system is used for sample introduction and aerosol generation. By employment of techniques common in HPLC or ion chromatography, on-line trace element preconcentration/matrix separation and atomic spectrometric trace determinations can be carried out. Preconcentration of trace elements in samples of drinking water allows determinations within the lower mug/L region by using flame AAS. On-line trace element preconcentration/matrix separation from aluminium leads to detection limits of approx. 0.1 to 1 mug/g within less than 3 min of total analysis time. Dependent on concentration and the element involved, the relative standard deviation amounts to approx. 2 to 4% (2.5 to 25 mug/g traces/aluminium).