A Compact,Versatile,Integrated Nebulizer-Hydride Generator System for Simultaneous Determination of Volatile Elemental Hydrides and other Elements by ICP-AES

An integrated nebulizer-hydride generator system has been developed in which an upright spray chamber for pneumatic nebulization is modified for use in hydride generation. The modifications were made to allow the upright spray chamber to function as a phase separator for hydride generation, as well as to permit the nebulized aerosol to pass smaller-diameter droplets. This system allows analyses of both volatile hydrides and conventional pneumatically nebulized solutions to be performed individually or simultaneously without the need to change or disassemble the sample introduction system. The line intensities of As, Sb, Bi, and Hg are essentially not affected by changing the hydride-forming reaction tube length, while decreasing the tube length has the advantage of reducing the interference effect of the transition elements. Detection limits for the elements forming volatile hydrides are improved by one to two orders of magnitude, while the detection limits for other elements remain essentially unchanged or are slightly degraded.