SOLID-PHASE BUTYLATION AND VAPORIZATION FOR DETERMINATION OF LEAD BY HEATED QUARTZ CELL ATOMIC-ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY

For electrothermal sample introduction, a tungsten boat furnace (TBF) atomizer was transformed to an organometal generator for heated quartz cell (HQC) atomic absorption spectrometry. Inorganic lead(II) was con verted to butyllead species, possibly tetrabutyllead, by a thermochemi cal reaction with a Grignard reagent. It instantly vaporized and was t hen introduced into the HQC. Utilizing an exchangeable small sample cu vette placed on the TBF for the reaction was very favorable from the v iewpoints of easy handling, no memory effect, and keeping stable furna ce conditions. Since the analyte was vaporized at a comparatively low temperature (800 degrees C), essentially no interference from most for eign ions was observed. The calibration graph was linear up to 0.3 mg dm(-3) of lead and the limit of detection (2S/N) was 7 mu g dm(-3) of lead when 100 mm(3) of an aqueous solution was loaded on the cuvette. The relative standard deviation (0.2 mg dm(-3) of lead, n=6) was 2.0%. Analytical results for some environmental samples are presented.