The use of chemical modifiers in electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

The developments of electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry and high-resolution continuum source - graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, have enabled the utilization of conventional and permanent chemical modifiers in determining especially, volatile and moderately-volatile elements in various sample solutions. Chemical modifiers used in the determination of elements have changed the thermochemical behaviors of both analyte and sample matrix by increasing the pyrolysis temperature of analyte up to a higher stable condition. They may also help to control various analytical parameters such as accuracy and precision, and to reduce interferences in sample matrixes. Conventional modifiers such as Pd, Rh, Ru and Pd + Mg mixture together with sample solution and permanent modifiers such as Pd, W-Rh, W-Pd, Zr-Pd and Zr-Ru coated on pyrolytic graphite tubes have been utilized for the determination and the detection limits of volatile and moderately-volatile elements such as Cd, Pb, As, Se, Sn, Sb, Cr, Bi, Cu, Mn and Fe in various samples in recent years.