Computer-controlled electrothermal–hollow cathode emission spectrometric source for the simultaneous multi-element determination of trace elements in environmental liquid samples in microlitre amounts

Abstract

A combined electrothermal–hollow cathode emission spectrometric source is described, which is capable of simultaneous multi-element analysis with absolute detection limits lying in the range 10^–11–10^–12 g (determined for a volume of 10 µl). Details of the electrothermal heating, discharge control and detection power are given, and results of the analysis of water samples are presented.