- Quantitative analyses of approximately 70 elements

- Trace impurities in alloys and process reagents

- Water analysis

- Direct air sampling/analysis

- Direct solids analysis of ores and finished metals

- Form: Solids, solutions, and gaseous (mercury)

- Size: Depends on technique used - from a milligram (solids by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry) to 10 mL of solution for conventional flame work

- Preparation: Depends on the type of atomizer used; usually a solution must be prepared

- Detection limits range from subparts per billion to parts per million

- Cannot analyze directly for noble gases, halogens, sulfur, carbon, or nitrogen

- Poorer sensitivity for refractory oxide or carbide-forming elements than plasma atomic emission spectrometry

- Basically a single-element technique

- Highly variable, depending on the type of atomizer and technique used

- Sample dissolution may take 4-8 h or as little as 5 min

- Typical analysis times range from approximately 1 min (flames) to several minutes (furnaces)

- Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and direct current plasma atomic emission spectrometry are simultaneous multielement techniques with a wider dynamic analytical range and sensitivities complementing those of atomic absorption spectrometry. They cost considerably more to set up and require more expert attention to potential matrix interference (spectral) problems