Determination of tin in marine sediment slurries by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry using palladium-magnesium nitrate as chemical modifier

A method was optimized for the determination of tin in slurries of marine sediment samples using palladium-magnesium nitrate as chemical modifier and Triton X-100 (0.1%) surfactant as stabilizer. To obtain a complete pyrolysis of the slurry sample, two charring steps were used, the first at 480 degrees C and the second at 1300 degrees C. The precision and accuracy of the method were studied using the Reference Material PACS-1 (marine sediment) from National Research Council Canada. The detection limit (LOD) was 57.6 mu g kg(-1). The method was applied to the determination of tin in marine sediment samples from the Galicia coast.