Abstract: | Lead has been determined in three certified reference materials (aquatic plant, olive leaves, and mussel tissue) by direct slurry atomization-graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The importance of using ascorbic acid as matrix modifier has been demonstrated, particularly to overcome calcium interferences. Using 0.05 M ascorbic acid and aqueous calibration standards excellent agreement was found with certified values. The method is proposed for general application in environmental analysis. |