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Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy
Interferences in AAS
• Spectral interference – It is caused by radiation overlap of
absorption line due to emissions or absorptions from another
element or compound. It may also cause due to background
radiation from flame, solvent or sample.
• If an absorbing wavelength of an element, not being determined

but present in the sample falls within the measuring line of the
element of interest, the absorbance of the element will be
measured together with the analyte of interest and give a
higher absorbance value.
• Example 1: Vanadium line is 308.211 nm and Aluminium line is

at 308.215 nm.
• Choose a different Aluminium line at 309.27 nm.
• Interference due to overlapping lines is rare in AAS.
• Example 2: Radiation interference in the determination of Na

with Mg present, and in the determination of Iron with Cu or Ni
present.
• Non-spectral interference is of three types – Matrix, chemical
and ionization interference.
• Chemical interference – This occurs when an analyte is not

totally decomposed in flame. There is less atoms present, and
therefore a reduced absorbance of the analyte.
• Compounds cannot be broken down in flame. Anions SO4 and

PO4 combines with metal to form stable compounds and
decrease the absorption of the analyte.
• Example 1:Calcium signal is depressed due to formation of

CaSO4 or CaPO4.
• Example 2: Magnesium signal is depressed in the presence of
Aluminium. Aluminium forms heat stable compound with Mg.
• This interference can be overcome by using –
• Hotter flame
• Releasing agent : These agents reacts with the interferent. It is

a cation that reacts with the interfering anion and frees up the
element to be analysed.
• La and Sr are good releasing agents for Ca in the presence of

SO4 and PO4.
• Protective agent : These agents form stable but volatile
compounds.
• EDTA and 8-Hydroxy quinolone are protective agents. They can

complex with Ca in the presence of SO4, PO4 or Al.
• Ionization interference – Ionization interference affects Gp 1
and Gp 2 elements only. These include Ba, Ca, Sr, Na, K
• This occurs only in hot flames. The energy of the flame excite
the ground state atoms to ionic state by loss of electron
resulting in a depletion of ground state atoms, and the element
does not absorb at the correct wavelength.
• This interference can be overcome by using –
• Low Temperature Flame
• Ionization Buffer or ionization suppressor or ionization

suppressant, which prevents analyte ionization.
• An ionization buffer is a salt of an alkali metal which ionizes to
give a mass of electrons that shift the ionization equilibrium of
analyte to form atoms.
• Add a 0.1% KCl solution to blank, standard, and sample.
• This gives an increase in the concentration of electrons in the

flame, and drives back the ionic form to ground state where
they absorb at the right wavelength.
• Matrix interference – It is a physical interference, and can either
suppress or enhance absorbance signal of analyte.
• It occurs when components of sample matrix other than the

analyte react to form molecular species and sample
background.
• The detector picks up unspecified signals from sample matrix

that do not match the absorbance line of the analyte.
• The causes of matrix interference may be following –
• Characteristics of sample and standards differ in viscosity and

surface tension.
• Sample and standards are prepared in different solvents.
• Sample and standards are measured at different temperatures
• Matrix interference may be overcome by using –
• Blank -The blank should be representative of the sample

matrix. It must be prepared in the same way as the analyte
except it does not contain the analyte.
• Methanol - Viscosity and solution problems can be solved by

adding methanol to sample, standard and blank. This will
enhance nebulization and increase the amount of sample
entering the flame to give a higher absorbance value.
•
• Standard addition - Add a known component of matrix to both
standards and samples so that the interferent becomes
insignificant.
Intstrumentation
• Light source or Hollow cathode lamp
• Source of Flame or Burner
• Nebuliser
• Monochromator
• Detector
Schematic diagram of AAS
Working of AAS
• Each metal has a characteristic wavelength that will be
absorbed. Hollow cathode lamp supplies that wavelength.
• The sample of interest is aspirated and atomized into the flame.

If that metal is present in the sample, its atoms will absorb
some of the light, thus reducing its intensity.
• This decrease in intesity of the light is the process of atomic

absorption. The instrument measures the change in intensity
and get detected in detector.
• A computer data system converts this change into an

absorbance.
Hollow cathode lamp
• The Hollow Cathode Lamp is the most commonly used light
source in an Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. The HCL
produces narrow emissions from atomic species. It consists of
a cup-shaped cathode which is made from element of interest
(Na, K, Fe, Cd etc) and an anode which is usually made from
tungsten and placed in a hollow tube filled with an inert gas
such as Ar or Ne or He. It gives a constant and intense beam of
the specific analytical line or wavelength of the element.
• Application of a high potential difference across the electrodes

causes a discharge of electrons.
Hollow cathode lamp
• These gaseous ions bombard the cathode and eject metal
atoms from the cathode in a process called sputtering. Some
sputtered atoms are in excited state and emit radiation (light)
characteristic of the metal (Na 589 nm, K 766.5 nm) as they fall
back to the ground state.
Hollow cathode lamp
Intstrumentation
• Flame: The Flame is the Atomizer in which the sample
undergoes desolvation and vaporization at high temperature. It
destroys any analyte ions, break up complexes and creates the
atoms of the element of interest, Na, K, Fe, Cu, Zn, etc.
• In most of the cases, air-acetylene or nitrous oxide-acetylene is

used as oxidant and fuel.
• Total consumption burner or premix burner is generally used.
• For details regarding flame, kindly refer flame photometry

slides supplied to you.
Intstrumentation
• Monochromator: This is used to isolate a single atomic
resonance line from the spectrum of lines emitted from the
interaction of the sample with the resonance light from hollow
cathode lamp. Essentially it is an adjustable filter that selects a
specific narrow region of the spectrum for transmission to the
detector and excludes all wavelengths outside this region.
• For details refer the chapter UV-Visible spectroscopy.

Intstrumentation
• Detector: It converts light coming from a monochromator into
an amplified electrical signal which can be recorded. The
amount of light getting to the detector is a function of the
concentration of the element of interest in the sample being
analyzed. The type of detector found in AAS is the
photomultiplier tube, which works on the principle of
photoelectric effect.
• For details refer the chapter UV-Visible spectroscopy
• Recorder: Computer system and a suitable software. It receives

the analog signals from the detector and converts it to readable
responses.
Applications
• Determination of different elements in biological fluids such as
whole blood, plasma, urine, serum
• Determination of different elements in hard and soft tissues

such as bone, finger nails and hair
• For the analysis of major (Ca, Mg, Na, K) and minor essential
elements (Zn, Cu, Fe)
• For the analysis of essential trace elements (Cr, Mn, Mo, Se)
• For the analysis of toxic elements (Pd, Hg, As, Cd) in our body.
• Na, K, Ca and Al analysis in the samples of diclofenac sodium.

Applications
• Cd, Ni, Pd analysis in magnesium stearate
• Se, Fe, Zn analysis in vitamin tablets and tonics
• Ni analysis in fat dehydrogenation process monitoring
• Determination of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, As) in

pharmaceutical formulations.

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Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

• If an absorbing wavelength of an element, not being determined

• Example 1: Vanadium line is 308.211 nm and Aluminium line is

• Interference due to overlapping lines is rare in AAS.

• Example 2: Radiation interference in the determination of Na

• Chemical interference – This occurs when an analyte is not

• Compounds cannot be broken down in flame. Anions SO4 and

• Example 1:Calcium signal is depressed due to formation of

• This interference can be overcome by using –

• Releasing agent : These agents reacts with the interferent. It is

• La and Sr are good releasing agents for Ca in the presence of

• EDTA and 8-Hydroxy quinolone are protective agents. They can

• This interference can be overcome by using –

• Low Temperature Flame

• Ionization Buffer or ionization suppressor or ionization

• Add a 0.1% KCl solution to blank, standard, and sample.

• This gives an increase in the concentration of electrons in the

• It occurs when components of sample matrix other than the

• The detector picks up unspecified signals from sample matrix

• The causes of matrix interference may be following –

• Characteristics of sample and standards differ in viscosity and

• Sample and standards are measured at different temperatures

• Matrix interference may be overcome by using –

• Blank -The blank should be representative of the sample

• Methanol - Viscosity and solution problems can be solved by

• Source of Flame or Burner

• The sample of interest is aspirated and atomized into the flame.

• This decrease in intesity of the light is the process of atomic

• A computer data system converts this change into an

• Application of a high potential difference across the electrodes

• In most of the cases, air-acetylene or nitrous oxide-acetylene is

• Total consumption burner or premix burner is generally used.

• For details regarding flame, kindly refer flame photometry

• For details refer the chapter UV-Visible spectroscopy.

• For details refer the chapter UV-Visible spectroscopy

• Recorder: Computer system and a suitable software. It receives

• Determination of different elements in hard and soft tissues

• Na, K, Ca and Al analysis in the samples of diclofenac sodium.

• Se, Fe, Zn analysis in vitamin tablets and tonics

• Ni analysis in fat dehydrogenation process monitoring

• Determination of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, As) in

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