ABSTRACT
Optical atomic spectral analysis is the detection and/or determination of chemical elements within the spectral range from 100 nm to 1 mm, using the characteristic line spectra of free atoms in the gaseous state. The history of atomic spectroscopy is closely connected with the observation of the sunlight. W. H. Wollaston discovered the black lines in the sun’s spectrum. Atomic spectra are line spectra and are specific to the absorbing or emitting atoms, that is, the spectra contain information on the atomic structure. In Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) it is normal to distinguish between single-beam and double-beam spectrometers. The high selectivity and specificity of AAS derive from the use of element-specific light-scattering (LS), modulation of this radiation, and selective amplifiers. In conventional AAS, LSs are used that emit the spectral lines of one or a few elements. hollow cathode lamps and electrodeless discharge lamps are the main types of lamp employed.
