Measuring of chemical elements in liquid and other samples.

The MGA-915MD spectrometer employs a state-of-the-art version of the atomic absorption spectrometry with electrothermal atomization (GFAAS) and Zeeman high-frequency modulated light polarization (ZAAS HFM) correction for the nonselective absorption, which excludes the effect of interfering impurities. As compared to the other analytical methods, the GFAAS – ZAAS HFM technique provides the optimum ratio of the cost and labor content of measuring concentrations of various elements at the ppb (µg/l) level. The ZAAS HFM technique implemented in the MGA-915MD spectrometer is an advanced innovation version of the conventional atomic absorption spectrometry, which, to a great extent, facilitates operation with samples having complex organic or inorganic matrix. As compared with other analytical techniques, the electrothermal atomization AAS provides optimal combination of appropriate cost and labor content of determination of many elements at ppb level. One more additional feature of this spectrometer is the possibility of the use of high-frequency radiation sources that are, HF electrodeless discharge lamps (EDL), which emit analytical lines of much higher intensity thus providing lower detection limits and higher precision of the measurements. This results in attaining extremely low detection limits for such elements as As, Se, Sb and other elements and even using direct injection of the sample, the hydride generation technique being not needed. Since no inflammable gases are used in the MGA-915MD spectrometer, this makes operation with it safe and substantially simplifies its installation/commissioning. This spectrometer does not call for special operating conditions and is fairly self-contained due to the use of a built-in closed-loop cooling system of the atomizer. The MGA-915MD spectrometer is equipped with a system for automated lamp change-over and setting appropriate analytical lines. A six-lamp turret provides computer controlled switching from one element to another without manual alignment of the lamp. The use of a 55-vial autosampler makes it possible to automatically inject a prepared sample into the atomizer. The up-to-date dedicated software provides automated data acquisition and processing with subsequent report generation. A special design of the MGA-915MD atomizer enabled a drastic decrease of the scale effect, which manifests itself in many similar spectrometers as the effect of the volume of the injected sample on the magnitude of the analytical signal. Hence, the MGA-915MD spectrometer can be used to analyze samples of various volumes. This option is very useful because the contents of target objects in real samples greatly vary.