As, Se, and Sb in Urine and Air by Hydride Generation and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Urine and air particulate samples are wet ashed with a mixture of nitric, perchloric and sulfuric acids to destroy the organic matrix. Volatile metal hydrides are generated from the acidic solution by the addition of sodium borohydride. The trace metal content of the evolved gas is determined by background-corrected atomic absorption spectrometry.