Abstract
A helium radiofrequency atomization and excitation source has been developed for direct determinations of trace elements in liquid and solid samples having a small size. The effects of NaNO3 and NaCl on the emission intensity were studied for several elements using spectrometers and a high-speed video camera. In the presence of the matrix, enhancement effects were observed for Fe and Be, while depression effects were encountered for Cd, Zn and Pb. From temporally and spatially resolved emission images, it was concluded that these effects were related to changes in both the atomization and excitation processes, depending on the Ta sample cup temperature and excitation temperature of the analyte.
