eters to meet federal regulations. But as Herb Kahn of PE put it, "The difference between flame atomizers and carbon atomizers is like the difference between watching tennis and playing tennis." Much later, the L'vov platform would alleviate some of the problems encountered with carbon AAS. Producing a reliable instrument that corrected for backgrounds that were sometimes > 90% as well as for many other variables was a monumental task, especially considering that the atom population rate never attained equilibrium. It was a feat equivalent to balancing one needle point on another, but some manufacturers, particularly Perkin Elmer, have achieved success through truly outstanding mechanical and electronic engineering. It would certainly have been easier and more reliable to use Woodriff s continuous atomization design. The future AAS has now reached full bloom. Predictable extensions, such as GC/AAS and HPLC/AAS, have been demonstrated to be valuable for speciation analysis, and new applications are appearing regularly. Using a carbon tee piece and interfacing with a gas chromatograph, we were able to predict the fate of tetraethyl lead after a shipload ended up in the Adriatic Sea, decomposed, and entered the food chain (i 7). Using flame AAS with a much more efficient flame atomization system, we have been able to speciate the interaction between Zn and Cd in kidney tissue—an important health issue (18). Now, the boundary conditions of this physical phenomenon are established, and its uses as an analytical method have been studied. The tune is written and it just remains for us to sing it. What is the future of atomic spectroscopy? Perhaps the new "best method" for elemental analysis is inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). ICPMS has very high sensitivity (10~15 g or better) and few interferences; determines all elements, metals and nonmetals alike; performs simultaneous multielement analysis with ease; can get by with very small samples if necessary; can be used to analyze solid, liquid, or gas samples; and provides new information based on isotopic distribution. ICPMS is now
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following the same developmental path as AAS and may be the next chapter in the story of atomic spectroscopy.
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References (1) Walsh, A. Spectrochim. Acta 1955, 7,108. (2) Alkemade, C.T.J.; Milatz, J.M.N. /. Opt. Soc. Am. 1955,45, 583. (3) Brode, W. R. Chemical Spectroscopy, 2nd éd.; John Wiley and Sons: New York, 1943. (4) Robinson, J. W.Anal. Chem. 1960,32, 17 A. (5) Gaydon, A. G. The Spectroscopy of Flames; John Wiley and Sons: New York, 1957. (6) Taylor, H. S.; Glasstone, S. Atomics and Thermodynamics; Van Nostrand: New York, 1942. (7) Robinson, J. W.Anal. Chim. Acta 1960, 23,479. (8) Robinson, J. W.; Harris, R. J. Anal. Chim. Acta 1962,26,439. (9) Robinson, J. W.; Kevan, L. J. Anal. Chim. Acta 1963,28,170. (10) Robinson, J. W.Anal. Chim. Acta 1962, 27, 465. (11) Koirtyohann, S. R.; Pickett, E. E.Anal. Chem. 1966,38, 585. (12) Dorsch, R., personal communication, 1969. (13) Hadeishi, T.; McLaughlin, R. D. Science 1971,274,404. (14) Amos, M. D.; Willis, J. B. Spectrochim. Acta 1963,22, 1325. (15) Robinson, J. W. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy; Marcel Dekker: New York, 1966. (16) Robinson, J. W.Anal. Chim. Acta 1 9 6 1 , 24, 254. (17) Robinson, J. W.; Vidaurreta, L. E.; Wolcott, D. K.; Kiesel, E. Spectrosc. Lett. 1975,8,491. (18) Chang, P. P.; Robinson, J. W. /. Environ. Set. Health 1993, A28,1147.
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Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 66, No. 8, April 15, 1994 4 7 7 A
