SIMPLEX OPTIMIZATION OF CONDITIONS FOR THE DETERMINATION OF ARSENIC IN ENVIRONMENTAL-SAMPLES BY USING ELECTROTHERMAL ATOMIC-ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY

Simplex optimization was used to efficiently delineate the optimum experimental conditions to be used for the electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric analysis of arsenic in a standard reference material of marine origin. Four experimental variables, were considered: ashing temperature, atomization temperature, modifier concentration, and atomization ramping time. This combination of methods and materials provides a powerful means of rapidly improving the experimental conditions used for analysis of arsenic in a wide variety of samples of environmental origin. Excellent recoveries of arsenic were obtained when using the optimum electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry conditions to analyze standard solutions of arsenobetaine, arsenocholine and tetramethylarsonium iodide.