Determination of germanium in plant and soil samples using high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HR CS GFAAS) with solid sampling

Germanium (Ge) is commonly an unreported trace element in environmental samples due to the lack of reliable analytical methods. Besides atomic mass spectrometric methods (ICP-MS) and atomic emission spectroscopy (OES), graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) offers the sensitivity that is needed in biological and environmental analysis. However, until recently AAS-techniques for the quantification of Ge were solely described for liquid samples and require time consuming sample preparation steps involving total dissolution of the sample matrix. In the present study we modified an existing method for the determination of Ge in liquid samples by high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HR CS GFAAS) towards its applicability to solid samples.