Direct determination of trace arsenic in coal by slurry-sampling graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

A method for direct determination of trace arsenic in coal by slurry-sampling Graphite-Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GFAAS) was developed, using Pd as a matrix modifier. The effects of slurry stability, particle size of sample, matrix modifiers, ashing temperature, atomization temperature, and common coexisting components on the signal intensity of arsenic were investigated. Under optimized operating conditions, the detection limits and relative standard deviation of this method were 0.054 mug(.)g(-1) and 8.9%, respectively.