Division 2.4.4.2 Specific requirements for graphite furnace AAS

Contamination in the laboratory often affects accuracy when working at ultra-trace levels in the graphite furnace. Therefore high purity reagents, deionised water and inert plastic ware for sample and standard handling should be used. The instrument settings for each element shall be optimised. Especially the pre-treatment- and atomisation-conditions (temperature, time) and the matrix modification have to be checked.

Working under isothermal atomisation conditions (e.g. transverse 0heated graphite tube with integrated Lvov platform (8) will reduce the influence of the matrix concerning the atomisation of the analyte. In combination with matrix modification and Zeeman-background correction (9), quantification by means of a calibration curve based upon measuring of aqueous standard solutions will be allowed.