Abstract: A new method for the determination of tellurium at sub-microgram levels by vacuum flameless atomic absorption spectrometry is described. Tellurium hydride is generated and collected under subatmospheric pressure. The hydride is then put into a vacuum quartz tube with a vacuum pump. It was found that the sensitivity of determining tellurium was increased by adding a small amount of oxygen or air to the hydride generator after the formation of the hydride. The detection limit (based on three times the standard deviation of twenty blank measurements) was 0.026ng. Ten replicate determinations of 2.0 ng Te gave a relative standard deviation of 3.9%.

Key words: Flameless atomic absorption spectrometry, Hydride generation, Tellurium