Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Atomic Absorbance Spectroscopy to Measure Intracellular Zinc Pools in Mammalian Cells
Published on: May 16, 2019
Aspects of chloride interference in zinc determination by atomic-absorption spectroscopy with electrothermal
1Department of Chemistry, Sheffield City Polytechnic, Pond Street, Sheffield, England.
Abstract:
During the determination of zinc in a polluted stream by atomic-absorption with electrothermal atomization, chloride was found to exercise a large negative interference (40%) when a carbon-filament atomizer was used, but not when a graphite-furnace atomizer was used. The effect on the filament method was confirmed and shown to be due to the formation of zinc chloride, and further complicated by interaction of this with iron. This interference could be overcome by the use of aqueous ammonia solution or silver nitrate added as matrix modifier. The absence of interference in the graphite-furnace method is attributed to the liberation of hydrogen and removal of chloride as hydrogen chloride. It is further suggested that these observations offer a basis for the exploration of apparently contradictory reports in the literature.
Related Concept Videos
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Interference
Spectral interference occurs when signals from other elements or molecules overlap with the analyte signal, falsely elevating or masking the analyte's absorbance. This interference can be corrected using Zeeman,...
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Interference
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Atomization Methods
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Lab
Solutions containing organic solvents, such as low-molecular-mass alcohols, esters, or ketones, enhance absorbances by increasing nebulizer...
Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS): Interferences
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Lab

