Mathematical equation correction to spectral and transport interferences in high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry: determination of lead in phosphoric acid

Abstract

In this work, a new mathematical equation correction approach for overcoming spectral and transport interferences was proposed. The proposal was applied to eliminate spectral interference caused by PO molecules at the 217.0005 nm Pb line, and the transport interference caused by variations in phosphoric acid concentrations. Correction may be necessary at 217.0005 nm to account for the contribution of PO, since Atotal 217.0005 nm = A Pb 217.0005 nm + A PO 217.0005 nm. This may be easily done by measuring other PO wavelengths (e.g. 217.0458 nm) and calculating the relative contribution of PO absorbance (APO) to the total absorbance (Atotal) at 217.0005 nm: A Pb 217.0005 nm = Atotal 217.0005 nm - A PO 217.0005 nm = Atotal 217.0005 nm - k (A PO 217.0458 nm). The correction factor k is calculated from slopes of calibration curves built up for phosphorous (P) standard solutions measured at 217.0005 and 217.0458 nm, i.e. k = (slope217.0005 nm/slope217.0458 nm). For wavelength integrated absorbance of 3 pixels, sample aspiration rate of 5.0 ml min-1, analytical curves in the 0.1 – 1.0 mg L-1 Pb range with linearity better than 0.9990 were consistently obtained.