Indirect atomic absorption spectrometric determination of mixtures of chloride and iodide by precipitation in an unsegmented flow system

Chloride and iodide are injected into a carrier silver nitrate and the precipitates formed are retained on a stainless-steel filter, so that total chloride and iodide can be determined by the decrease in the atomic absorption signal for silver. The silver chloride precipitate is subsequently dissolved with ammonia and chloride only is determined. Iodide is determined by difference. Mixtures of these anions at μg ml^?1 levels can be determined for chloride/iodide ratios from 7.5:1 to 1:60, with a sampling frequency of ca. 10 h^?1. Applications to the determination of chloride in foodstuffs and wines are described. Up to 10 samples per hour can be handled and 50–100 samples can be run before the filter must be cleaned.