Sample Digestion Procedures for Simultaneous Determination of Arsenic, Antimony, and Selenium by Inductively Coupled Argon Plasma Emission Spectrometry with Hydride Generation

Abstract

Five digestion procedures for water samples are compared by using dissolved Inorganic, dissolved organic, and suspended particulate test samples. Persulfate digestion In acid solution, followed by heating at 95 °C In 6 M HCI Is shown to be the preferred digestion procedure for all sample types prior to arsenic, antimony, and selenium determination by hydride generation and plasma emission detection. A unique hydride generation procedure allows truly simultaneous generation and detection of the hydrides. The method Is compared with graphite furnace atomic absorption using wastewater effluent samples. © 1982, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.