Hydride generation techniques atomic spectroscopy

Campbell AD (1992) A critical survey of hydride generation techniques in atomic spectroscopy (Technical Report). (Technical report by the Commission on Microchemical Techniques and Trace Analysis, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry). Pure Appl Chem 64 227-244. 

Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) is nowadays one of the most important instrumental techniques for quantitative analysis of metals (and some few metalloids) in various types of samples and matrices. The history of atomic absorption spectrometry dates back to the discovery of dark lines in the continuous emission spectrum of the sun by WoUaston in 1802. The lines are caused by the absorption of the elements in the atmosphere of the sun. His work was taken up and further pursued by Fraunhofer in 1814. In 1860, Kirchhoff and Bunsen demonstrated that the yellow hne emitted by sodium salts when introduced into a flame is identical with the so-caUed D-Hne in the emission spectrum of the sun. However, it took nearly one century before this important discovery was transferred into a viable analytical technique. In 1955, Alan Walsh published the first paper on atomic absorption spectroscopy [4]. At the same time, and independently of Walsh, AUce-made and Wilatz pubhshed the results of their fundamental AAS experiments [5, 6]. But it was the vision of Walsh and his indefatigable efforts that eventually led to the general acceptance and commercialisation of AAS instrumentation in the mid-1960s. Further instrumental achievements, such as the introduction of the graphite furnace and the hydride generation technique, in the second half of the 1960s further promoted the popularity and applicability of the technique. 

For the determination of organotin compounds (tributyltin, triphenyltin, triethyltin, and tetra-ethyltin) a MAE is proposed before the normal phase (NP) HPLC/UV analysis [35], In organotin and arsenic speciation studies, hydride generation is the most popular derivatization method, combined with atomic absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy or ICP techniques [25,36], Both atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI)-MS and electrospray ionization ESI-MS are employed in the determination of butyltin, phenyltin, triphenyltin, and tributyltin in waters and sediments [37], A micro LC/ESI-ion trap MS method has been recently chosen as the official EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) method (8323) [38] it permits the determination of mono-, di-, and tri- butyltin, and mono-, di-, and tri-phenyltin at concentration levels of a subnanogram per liter and has been successfully applied in the analysis of freshwaters and fish [39], Tributyltin in waters has been also quantified through an automated sensitive SPME LC/ESI-MS method [40],... 

Maintaining the quality of food is a far more complex problem than the quality assurance of non-food products. Analytical methods are an indispensable monitoring tool for controlling levels of substances essential for health and also of toxic substances, including heavy metals. The usual techniques for detecting elements in food are flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS), graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF AAS), hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HG AAS), cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CV AAS), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP AES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP MS) and neutron activation analysis (NAA). 

Classical flame AAS techniques do not have sufficiently low detection limits for selenium to be useful for determining its presence in biological samples (Koirtyohann and Morris 1986). Hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy (HGAAS) has been used instead for determination of selenium in biological samples such as blood and blood constituents and meat, fruits, and vegetables (Bern 1981). 

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