6. Conclusion

The main advantages of SAA techniques are:

• the high sensitivity in the case of SAAE (GFAAS);

• simplicity and low cost in the case of SAAF.

The main drawback of these techniques is that they are generally single-element. In contrast, plasma-based technologies offer the advantages of high sensitivity and multi-element analysis, but they are limited by the need to accept compromise conditions that are not necessarily optimal for every element. Furthermore, they are more expensive, particularly in the case of ICP-MS.

To date, the installed base of atomic absorption spectrometers remains very large, and these techniques are likely still the most widely used worldwide (due to the large number of trained users and existing standards), particularly because...