EVALUATION OF THE PRECISION AND ACCURACY OF AN AUTOMATED SAMPLE INTRODUCTION ACCESSORY FOR THE FLAME ATOMIC-ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRIC MEASUREMENT OF CALCIUM IN SERUM

The measurement precision and accuracy that results from the use of a sample introduction peristaltic pump system for automated instrument c alibration and analysis is compared to manual methods based on traditi onal gravimetric and volumetric dilution procedures for flame atomic a bsorption analyses in water and serum matrices. Whilst use of the auto mated system improves speed of analysis, measurement precision was fou nd to be approximately 2-fold worse than the manual methods based on g ravimetric and volumetric dilution procedures. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scien ce B.V. All rights reserved.