Determination of Arsenic in Non-contaminated Environmental Samples by Flow-Injection Hydrogen-Generation AAS

Abstract

Flow-injection hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-HGAAS) was used for the determination of arsenic in non-contaminated environmental samples such as rocks, soils and plants, at nine sites in the High Tatras (Slovak Republic). The accuracy of the method was checked by analyzing a certified reference soil material. The recoveries were 103 % for the closed-vessel decomposition under elevated pressure using HNO₃ and measurement in the presence of urea and 100 % for pseudototal decomposition using aqua regia leaching and measurement without urea. The limit of detection (3SD) for arsenic in the samples was less than 0.015 μg g^-1. The accuracy of determination (RSD) was in the range 2–8 % for soils (total As concentrations 5.0–28 μg g^-1), 4–13 % for rocks (0.54–1.7 μg g^-1) and 4–12 % for plants (0.20–0.90 μg g^-1).