DIRECT AND SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATION OF COPPER AND MANGANESE IN SEAWATER WITH A MULTIELEMENT GRAPHITE-FURNACE ATOMIC-ABSORPTION SPECTROMETER

The direct and simultaneous determinations of Cu and Mn in seawater us ing a multielement graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer (Pe rkin-Elmer SIMAA6000) are described. Three kinds of chemical modifier (Mg(NO3)(2), Pd(NO3)(2) and a mixture of these) were tested. The matri x interferences were removed completely so that a simple calibration c urve method could be used to determine Cu and Mn in seawater from the open ocean using Pd or a mixture of Pd and Mg as the chemical modifier , The relative standard deviations (RSDs) for the simultaneous determi nation of Cu and Mn in seawater from open ocean are 10% or less, and t he detection limits were 0.07 mu g l(-1) for Cu and 0.10 mu g l(-1) fo r Mn, using Pd as the chemical modifier. The accuracy of the method is confirmed by analysis of four kinds of certified reference saline wat ers. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.