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Abstract
Non‐spectral interferences in AES‐ICP are the main problem for the determination of some potentially dangerous elements in soil extracts. According to Czech law regulations content of As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, V, Hg, and Zn have to be determined. Soils from the International Soil Exchange Programme (ISE) extracted in aqua regia were used for investigation. For all the elements and several spectral lines for most of them the influence of instrument conditions on the level of interferences was studied. The results were compared to the results found by FAAS, standard addition method and the results available from the ISE. No compromise interference‐free instrument conditions for AES‐ICP determination were found for this set of elements and therefore correction by comparative element was adopted. Scandium proved to be unsuitable because of its relatively high content in some soils. Lutetium added to the soil extracts in the concentration 5 mg .1‐1 was finally chosen as a suitable comparative element. The agreement between the corrected results and the results obtained by interference‐free procedures was very good. Correction is necessary only for ionic lines if measured in the height 6–8 mm above the apex of plasma where are practically no interferences on atomic lines.