EVALUATION OF ELECTROTHERMAL ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY FOR TRACE DETERMINATION OF ANTIMONY IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES USING CHEMICAL MODIFICATION

Trace determination of antimony in complex environmental matrices by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET-AAS) is impossible without a chemical modification. In this work, palladium nitrate and reduced palladium were used as chemical modifiers for the determination of antimony in different environmental matrices. Certified reference materials (CRMs) of lake water (TMDA-61), poplar leaves (NCS DC 73350), and soil Eutric Cambisol (S-VM 12-1-07) were used for these purposes. For comparison of their effectiveness in thermal stabilization of antimony, pyrolysis and atomization curves in the presence of the matrices studied were measured. For analytical application, the main analytical characteristics were compared. While accuracy and precision were comparable for the both modifiers used, higher sensitivity was noticed in the presence of palladium nitrate. Therefore, the chemical form of palladium was not crucial for the environmental matrices studied. Significant differences were observed comparing measurements performed in the peak area and peak height modes. Finally, recoveries in the range of 93 - 103% were achieved by using palladium nitrate modifier and measurements performed in the peak height mode.