Flame AAS determination of copper in urine using a flow injection on-line preconcentration system based on a polyamine chelating ion exchange column

A flow injection system incorporating a polyamine chelating ion exchange co lumn for the flame atomic absorption determination of copper in urine is pr oposed. At a 5-mL sample volume, the procedure yielded a detection limit of I mug/L and a sample frequency of 20/h. Repeatability (%RSD, n=10) was 0.9 % at a 100-mug/L level and 1.4% at a 20-mug/L level. Reproducibility (%RSD; n=3) was 5% for a mean sample concentration of about 33.8 mug/L. For maxim um accuracy, a rapid wet sample digestion with H2O2 had to be performed. Re sults obtained by the proposed methodology (n=20) were in good agreement wi th those provided by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.