Arsenic Determination in Pharmaceutical Grade Barium Sulfate using Direct Solid Sampling Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A method for arsenic determination in pharmaceutical grade BaSO4 by solid sampling electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (SoS-ET AAS) is described. Two background (BG) correction systems, deuterium and Zeeman-effect (Z), were evaluated. Background was decreased by using hydrogen combined with Pd. Accurate and precise results were obtained using Z-SoS-ET AAS. Relative standard deviation using Z-SoS-ET AAS was lower than 9.5%. Limit of detection was 0.005 mu g g(-1) and characteristic mass was 25.4 pg. Results were also compared with those obtained using the preparation method suggested by European Pharmacopoeia for BaSO4 followed by determination using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results were around 20% lower than results obtained using the proposed method. Some advantages as simplicity, higher sample throughput were found when compared with the official method currently described in pharmacopoeia.