Arsenic-heated graphite atomiser

Lo and Coleman [16] analysed animal tissue for arsenic using a Perkin-Elmer HGA—2100 furnace. 5g (wet weight) of tissue were mixed with 1.5 g magnesium oxide and 10 ml cellulose powder in a 100 ml beaker and charred carefully. The sample was cooled and 1.5 g magnesium nitrate added, heated to 550°C and ashed for 2h. 5 ml water was added and the sample dissolved in 45 ml 6 N hydrochloric acid. This solution was diluted 1 5 for the atomic absorption analysis to eliminate the interference signal. 10 pi was used for analysis and the parameters were as follows  

Spectral slit-width Wavelength Background corrector Gas flow  

Modifications of the above techniques could be applied to the analysis of freeze dried and low temperature ashed tissue samples. 

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