H. Matusiewicz, USE OF THE HILDEBRAND GRID NEBULIZER AS A SAMPLE INTRODUCTION SYSTEM FOR MICROWAVE-INDUCED PLASMA SPECTROMETRY, Journal of analytical atomic spectrometry, 8(7), 1993, pp. 961-964
The Hildebrand grid nebulizer (GN) has been successfully interfaced to
a novel highly efficient microwave plasma cavity at atmospheric press
ure for the introduction of urine. High matrix solutions from a spray
chamber are fed directly into the cavity with no desolvation apparatus
. The GN performed well when the signal-to-background ratio was optimi
zed for solution by adjusting the nebulizer gas glow, solution uptake
rate, gas pressure, impact bead position and forward plasma power. Err
ors, due to the suppression of the Cu, Fe and Zn signal intensities by
matrix elements in urine, were eliminated using calibration by standa
rd additions coupled with background measurements. Results are present
ed for the analysis of Human Reference Urine, Seronorm. Within the pre
cision of measurement (7-11 % for replicate determinations) analytical
results for the test elements Cu, Fe and Zn were in agreement with re
commended values. The nebulizer exhibited no clogging problems.