Determination of trace mercury in tobacco by flow injection-cold vapor generation atomic absorption spectroscopy

A method of flow injection-cold vapor generation atomic absorption spectroscopy (FI CVGAAS) was developed for the determination trace mercury in tobacco using potassium tetrahydrobrorate (Ⅲ) as reductant.Operational conditions (concentration and volume of reagents) were optimized.The effect of several ions on the analysis was also studied:no interferences were found.The detection limit obtained was 0.4ng/ml.The relative standard deviation (n =7) was 2.80% for 10ng/mL Hg (II) solution.The linear range of this method was from 0.4ng/mL to 60ng/mL.The mercury was solubilized in a microwave oven with nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide in closed vessels.The recovery of the method was 98.15%.