Applications of Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry:

Atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) is now a routinely and widely employed technique for trace and ultratrace analysis of complex matrices of geological, environmental, engine oil, glass, industrial, cement, biological, marine sediment, pharmaceutical or any other kind of samples. That has been employed for the determination of more than 60 elements at trace and ultratrace levels. It is frequently used for the cases where the sample size is small e.g. in case of metalloproteins.

Accuracy in AAS method is generally limited by random errors and noise to about 0.5 - 5%. Spectral and chemical interferences may however cause systematic errors. Precision of AAS measurements is typically 0.3 - 1% at absorbance larger than 0.1 or 0.2 for flame atomisation and 1 - 5% with electrothermal atomisation. The detection limits and sensitivities provide a means of comparing characteristics of AAS for a given element. The detection limits of the AAS method lie in the range of ppb; the GFAAS giving better detection limits as compared to the flame AAS.