How does the Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) method function?

The Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) method operates by vaporizing a sample and then measuring the light that is absorbed by the vaporized atoms. This technique involves the following key steps:

1. Sample Preparation: A small amount of the sample solution is introduced into the AAS instrument. This solution is typically prepared to ensure that the metal analyte of interest is in a liquid form.

2. Atomization: The sample is then subjected to high temperatures, often using a flame or a graphite furnace, which converts the liquid sample into a gaseous state, creating free atoms of the target elements.

3. Light Absorption: A beam of light, usually from a hollow cathode lamp that emits specific wavelengths associated with the element being analyzed, passes through the vaporized sample. The free atoms absorb some of this light.

4. Measurement: The amount of light absorbed by the free atoms is detected and measured. The degree of light absorption correlates with the concentration of the target element in the sample. As a result, AAS can quantify the presence of various metals in a sample.

This method is widely used in environmental analysis, metallurgy, and clinical laboratories to determine concentrations of metals with high sensitivity and specificity. The other methods mentioned in the