Determination of antimony, arsenic, bismuth, selenium, tellurium and tin by low pressure atomic absorption spectrometry with a quartz tube furnace atomizer and hydride generation with air addition

A new method has been developed for the determination of antimony, arsenic, bismuth, selenium, tellurium and tin by hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry in an electrically heated quartz tube furnace under sub-atmospheric pressure. The hydride generator, operating at a pressure lower than atmospheric, is used to generate and collect the hydrides of these elements. A certain volume (at atmospheric pressure) of air is then added to the generator after the formation of the volatile hydride. The gaseous mixture of the hydride and air is drawn into an evacuated, heated quartz tube by a vacuum pump. The proposed method gives improved sensitivities and detection limits.