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In this work, a new mathematical equation correction approach for overcoming spectral and transport interferences was proposed. The proposal was applied to eliminate spectral interference caused by PO molecules at the 217.0005 nm Pb line, and the transport interference caused by variations in phosphoric acid concentrations. Correction may be necessary at 217.0005 nm to account for the contribution of PO, since Atotal 217.0005 nm = A Pb 217.0005 nm + A PO 217.0005 nm. This may be easily done by measuring other PO wavelengths (e.g. 217.0458 nm) and calculating the relative contribution of PO absorbance (APO) to the total absorbance (Atotal) at 217.0005 nm: A Pb 217.0005 nm = Atotal 217.0005 nm - A PO 217.0005 nm = Atotal 217.0005 nm - k (A PO 217.0458 nm). The correction factor k is calculated from slopes of calibration curves built up for phosphorous (P) standard solutions measured at 217.0005 and 217.0458 nm, i.e. k = (slope217.0005 nm/slope217.0458 nm). For wavelength integrated absorbance of 3 pixels, sample aspiration rate of 5.0 ml min-1, analytical curves in the 0.1 – 1.0 mg L-1 Pb range with linearity better than 0.9990 were consistently obtained. Calibration curves for P at 217.0005 and 217.0458 nm with linearity better than 0.998 were obtained. Relative standard deviations (RSD) of measurements (n = 12) in the range of 1.4 – 4.3% and 2.0 – 6.0% without and with mathematical equation correction approach were obtained respectively. The limit of detection calculated to analytical line at 217.0005 nm was 10 μg L-1 Pb. Recoveries for Pb spikes were in the 97.5 – 100% and 105 – 230% intervals with and without mathematical equation correction approach, respectively.

A simple and rugged method to determine Ca, K and Mg in a single aliquot of medicinal plants by high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry is proposed. Secondary lines for Ca (239.856 nm) and K (404.414 nm), and the alternate line measured at wing of the secondary line for Mg at 202.588 nm allowed calibration within the 20 – 500 mg L-1 Ca and K, and 1.0 – 80 mg L-1 Mg. Twenty samples and three plant certified materials were analyzed. Results were in agreement at a 95% confidence level with reference values. Limits of detection were 2.4 mg L-1 Ca, 1.9 mg L-1 K and 0.3 mg L-1 Mg. The RSD (n=12) were ≤ 5.1% and recoveries were between 83 and 108% for all analytes.

This work describes a method to determine Cu at wide range concentrations in a single run without need of further dilutions employing high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Different atomic lines for Cu at 324.754 nm, 327.396 nm, 222.570 nm, 249.215 nm and 224.426 nm were evaluated and main figures of merit established. Absorbance measurements at 324.754 nm, 249.215 nm and 224.426 nm allows the determination of Cu in the 0.07 – 5.0 mg L-1, 5.0 – 100 mg L-1 and 100 – 800 mg L-1 concentration intervals respectively with linear correlation coefficients better than 0.998. Limits of detection were 21 μg L-1, 310 μg L-1 and 1400 μg L-1 for 324.754 nm, 249.215 nm and 224.426 nm, respectively and relative standard deviations (n = 12) were £ 2.7%. The proposed method was applied to water samples spiked with Cu and the results were in agreement at a 95% of confidence level (paired t-test) with those obtained by line-source flame atomic absorption spectrometry.