Laboratory of atomic absorption spectrometry

Profile of the laboratory

The determination of elements in liquid samples at concentration levels of 10⁰–10^–7% or lower using the flame technique of atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) is provided. Lower concentration levels are achieved using flameless techniques. Aqueous solutions, acidified, and/or some organic solvents (methanol, ethanol) of samples are possible for measurements. The sample decomposition is in the laboratory limited, any mineralization device is not available. The mercury determination is possible from both, solid and liquid samples.

By the flame AAS technique (FAAS) measured elements with detection limits (in mg/l) are as follows:
Ag (0,03), Al (0,4), As (0,6), Au (0,1), B (8), Ba (0,2), Be (0,02), Bi (0,2), Ca (0,01), Cd (0,005), Co (0,05), Cr (0,06), Cs (0,04), Cu (0,04), Fe (0,05), Ga (0,7), Ge (1,5), Hg (5), In (0,2), K (0,01), La (1), Li (0,02), Mg (0,003), Mn (0,02), Mo (0,3), Na (0,003), Ni(0,05), Pb (0,1), Pd (0,1), Pt (1,5), Rb (0,03), Rh (0,15), Sb (0,3), Se (0,5), Si (1,5), Sn (1), Sr (0,05), Ta (11), Ti (1,5), Tl (0,3), V (0,75), W (6), Zn (0,05)

Flameless AAS techniques provide for lower detection limits (10^–3 – 10⁰ μg/l) using hydride generation (HG AAS) (As, Se, Sb, Te) and graphite furnace (GF AAS) (Al, As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, Zn – see the last paragraph). For the mercury determination even the detection limit of ng/l in solutions and μg/g and lower in solid samples can be achieved.

There is the demand to discuss all requests for flameless determinations with the staff in advance due to the capacity, indispensable method developments, solving contamination problems, etc.

Application examples

Environmental samples

drinking and surface water, wastewater – heavy metals and main element determinations
air pollution studies, airborne particulate matter, suspended particles, urban dust analyses – trace elements and main element components
analysis of soil extracts

Chemical technology, metallurgy, petrochemical products, corrosion chemistry – analysis of composition, determination of silicon in anti-freeze, refractory elements in steels

Foods and biological materials – drinks, plants, animal tissues, serum, blood – toxic element determinations including Hg, main analytes

Instrumental equipment

Atomic absorption spectrometer Varian Spectr AA880: Double beam spectrometer
Spectral response 190–900 nm
Fast response deuterium background corrector
Rotating 8 – lamp turret
2 burners both for air-acetylene and nitrous oxide-acetylene flame

Atomic absorption spectrometer Varian Spectr AA300 coupled with VGA-77: Double beam spectrometer, spectral response 190–900 nm
Deuterium background corrector
Vapor Generation Accessory with electrical heating

VGA-77 is ideal for rapid trace level analyses of hydride forming elements (As, Se, Sb, Te) at μg/l and lower concentrations in different solution matrices

Atomic absorption spectrometer Varian Spectr AA300 Zeeman: Single beam spectrometer, spectral response 190–900 nm
Zeeman – effect background corrector
Electrothermal atomization in graphite furnace

Mercury-trace analyzer AMA254 (Altec, Czech Republic): Single purpose atomic absorption spectrometer for the mercury determination
Low pressure mercury lamp
Filter for isolation of spectral line 253.65 nm (Hg)

Determination of trace amounts of mercury in liquid and solid samples at μg/l and ng/l concentration levels.

Laboratory staff

Head of laboratory
	RNDr. Jiřina Sysalová, CSc.	Jirina.Sysalova@vscht.cz
Members of laboratory
	Jiřina Švorčíková, MSc. – laboratory service	Jirina.Svorcikova@vscht.cz
	Dana Pokorná, MSc. – specialist	Dana.Pokorna@vscht.cz
	Naděžda Hlaváčová – technician	Nadezda.Hlavacova@vscht.cz
	Duňa Jarešová

Contact

phone: 220 443 813

ICT Prague
Building A, 4th floor, door number 406 – atomic absorption spectrometry
Technická 5, 166 28 Praha 6 – Dejvice

Additional activities

Method developments, sample pre-treatment – digestion procedures
Quality assurance of results at low concentration levels, testing material developments
Consultations in the field of AAS and the trace analysis, discovery of contamination problems
Participation in research projects, monitoring, diagnoses and investigations, in fields of modern technologies, environmental, biological and medical sciences

Examples of solved problems and co-operations

Determination of impurities Fe, Cu, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni in pure chemicals used for electronics and special glasses preparations, material research purposes (project of the CAS)

Trace elements in body fluids – serum, blood, plasma, urine – for the purpose of monitoring, diagnostic and treatment, research in medicine

Cd, Pb in blood (cooperation with the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM) Prague)

Al in serum, diagnostic purposes, QA/QC validation developments, (IGA MH project solved in cooperation with IKEM Prague)

Al in brain tissues, the method development for the purpose of Alzheimer decease investigations (in cooperation with the Institute of Public Health (IPH) Prague)

Sr in plasma, the method development with QA/QC validation, for the purposes of research, diagnostic and treatment of osteoporosis (in cooperation with Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University)

As in blood and urine, research in the species determination, sample decomposition procedures with regards to arsenic species and the total amount (project of IGA MH, solved with IPH)

Environmental analyses – waters (surface, drinking, raining) Al, As, Be, Cd, Cu, Pb for purposes of monitoring and hydrogeochemical research

Air particulate matters and aerosols, urban dust samples – As, Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, quality assurance developments, air pollution studies and monitoring, methodological research of trace analyte determinations in very fine aerosol fractions, for the purpose of health risk factor assessments (in cooperation with IPH).