Process / pipelineOptical Spectroscopy

Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

Atomic absorption spectroscopy is an analytical technique that measures the concentration of metal elements by detecting the absorption of light by ground-state metal atoms in the gaseous state. Invented by Alan Walsh in 1955, it rapidly became the standard method for trace metal analysis in environmental, clinical, agricultural, and industrial samples. Atomic absorption spectroscopy's sensitivity, selectivity, and simplicity make it indispensable for monitoring toxic metals, nutritional minerals, and elements in complex matrices.

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Sources

  1. Walsh, A. (1955). The application of atomic absorption spectra to chemical analysis. Spectrochimica Acta, 7, 108–117. DOI: 10.1016/0371-1951(55)80043-3
  2. Skoog, D. A., West, D. M., Holler, F. J., & Crouch, S. R. (2014). Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry (9th ed.). Cengage Learning. ISBN: 978-1133170960
  3. Welz, B., & Sperling, M. (2000). Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (3rd ed.). Wiley-VCH. ISBN: 978-3527286393

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ScholarGateAtomic Absorption Spectroscopy (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/analytical-chemistry/atomic-absorption-spectroscopy