ABSTRACT
This chapter gives an overview of the performance differences of the major atomic spectroscopic techniques, but selection of the optimum approach might also involve the cost of the instrumentation, particularly if funds are limited. It looks at the running costs of the four atomic spectroscopy (AS) techniques, particularly from the standpoint of the cost of consumables, gases, and electricity. These data are based on the cost of gases, electricity, and instrument consumables in the United States in 2017. Because of the fundamental differences between the four AS techniques, it is important to understand that there are considerable differences in the cost of consumables. In addition, the cost of the same component used in different techniques can vary significantly between different vendors and suppliers. Operating costs are just one of them, and they should not prevent from choosing an instrument if analytical requirements change, such as the need for lower detection limits.
