A newly developed method of background correction for atomic absorption spectrometry combined with the Varian Techtron carbon rod atomizer, model 63, has been applied to the direct determination of Pb, Zn, Fe, Cu, Ni, Co, and Cd in sea water. The background-corrected absorption measurements are reproducible and have a linear relationship to increasing additions of the metal over the ranges examined for the direct determination of metals in sea water. The values are comparable to those obtained by the accepted ammonium tetramethylenedithiocarbamate-methyl isobutyl ketone flame atomic absorption spectrometry method, within the limits of precision expected. However, except for Fe and Zn, the method is not sensitive enough to allow measurements at the lower concentration ranges of the metals in sea water. The direct method is a rapid technique for analyzing marine waters enriched in metals.
