Effect of Organic Additives on the Intensity of Metal Lines in the Emission Spectrum of a Drop-Spark Discharge upon Sample Introduction into an Electrolyte Anode

The effect of the nature and concentration of organic medium modifiers on the intensity of lines of some heavy metals (Ag, Cd, Hg, Pb, Tl, Zn) in the spectrum of a drop-spark discharge upon sample introduction into an electrolyte anode is studied. It is shown that additives of 0.1–6 wt % of polar organic compounds greatly increase the intensity of Pb, Tl, and Zn lines and reduce the intensity of Ag lines. The greatest effect, a twenty-fold enhancement of zinc lines, is observed upon the introduction of methanol into dilute acids. The cadmium signal is insensitive to organic impurities in dilute acids, but is enhanced in concentrated salt solutions.