THE EFFECT OF SODIUM ON ANALYTE IONIC LINE-INTENSITIES IN INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA-ATOMIC EMISSION-SPECTROMETRY - INFLUENCE OF THE OPERATING-CONDITIONS

The effect of Na on the intensities of ionic lines in ICP-AES has been studied under extreme operating conditions, in particular under robus t conditions. The effect was assigned both to a change in the excitati on and ionization processes in the plasma and to a change in the aeros ol formation and transport. Some ionic lines were very sensitive to th e Na effect, particularly lines with an energy sum near 11.5 eV. A sel ection of lines was suggested for studying the Na effect: Ba II 455 nm , Ba II 233 nm, Mg II 280 nm, Ni IT 231 nm and Zn II 202 nm. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.