DIRECT AND NEAR-REAL-TIME DETERMINATION OF LEAD, MANGANESE AND MERCURY IN LABORATORY AIR BY ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATION ATOMIC-ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY

The direct and near-real-time determination of lead, manganese and mercury in laboratory air by electrostatic precipitation-atomic absorption spectrometry is reported. Background levels in the low-to-sub ng m-3 range were found, which increased by up to two orders of magnitude if the air was disturbed. Detection limits were sub-ng m-3 and a linear relationship between sampling time and atomic absorption signal was obtained if the laboratory air sampled was undisturbed or homogeneous.