Application of factorial design for mercury determination by trapping and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Abstract

A trapping technique was developed for the determination of mercury traces in blood serum by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The mercury was converted to metallic vapour in a reaction cell by tin chloride solution, swept by nitrogen into a gold-plated graphite tube and subsequently atomized. The influence of four experimental factors on the sensitivity of mercury determination was examined using two level factorial designs. It was found that the solution volume is the most significant parameter.