NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN FLOW-INJECTION VAPOR GENERATION ATOMIC-ABSORPTIONSPECTROMETRY

The combination of flow injection techniques with vapor generation ato mic absorption spectrometry (VGAAS) was shown to significantly improve the overall performance of the latter. Recently, new developments in this field have made possible further enhancements in sensitivity and selectivity, including: (1) selectivity enhancement by optimization of kinetic conditions (2) selectivity enhancement by on-line separation of interferents (3) selectivity enhancement by on-line sample matrix m odification (4) FI-HGAAS with sensitivity enhancement by reagent addit ion (5) sensitivity enhancements by on-line coprecipitation preconcent ration (6) sensitivity enhancements by in situ preconcentration of hyd rides in a graphite furnace. These are illustrated by applications in the trace or ultratrace determination of germanium, selenium, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, tin, and lead in environmental samples and Chinese herbal medicine. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.