Determination of cadmium, copper, manganese and rubidium in plastic materials by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry using solid sampling

Abstract

The direct analysis of solid samples using (GFAAS) graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) has considerable potential as a method for the determination of trace metals when only small amounts of sample are available, when the highest accurracy is not necessarily required, or when sample dissolution would be difficult and/or time consuming. Whereas the complete dissolution of many plastics is very difficult and often time consuming, the analysis by solid sampling offers the potential for avoiding sample dissolution. Using the cup-in-tube technique, Cd, Cu, Mn and Rb have been determined in solid plastic samples using Zeeman-effect GFAAS. The analytical conditions used permitted the determinations to be performed using aqueous reference solutions. Acceptable agreement of the results with reference values was achieved.