DETERMINATION OF COPPER IN ENVIRONMENTAL MATRICES FOLLOWING VAPOR GENERATION

Copper was determined in environmental matrices following generation, separation, and atomization of a volatile species formed by the mergin g of an acidified sample solution with an aqueous sodium tetrahydrobor ate solution at room temperature, The copper species, as yet unidentif ied, was phase separated in a conventional gas-liquid separator and di rected via a stream of Ar carrier gas to an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission detection system, Optimum conditions for generation w ere investigated, The efficiency of generation/transfer was estimated to be 50%, and no interference from the presence of 1000 mg/L concentr ation of As, Cd, Co, Ni, Fe, Cr, Mn, Pb, Se, and Zn concomitants was e vident. Simple aqueous standards were used for calibration purposes, a nd good agreement was obtained with certified values in the analysis o f National Research Council of Canada marine sediment BCSS-1 and lobst er hepatopancreas tissue TORT-1.