Dear Sir, I would badly need a research paper or protocol on " Heavy metals analysis in Seawater by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy". Your best suggestion will be a great direction for my research....
Analysis of Heavy metals in water samples may need graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy. The levels are normally lower than 1ppm, thus wouldn't be sensitive in flame atomizers. However, may be some sample concentration procedures may be used prior to analysis. Try Furnace, hydride generation and cold vapor atomic spectroscopy as good suggestion.
For analysis of trace elements in seawater, some preconcentration step is probably necessary if you do not have another atomizer as a graphite furnace. Methods of extraction in cloud point have been used with great success in the analysis of this type of elements in highly saline samples, being methods of low cost and respecting the principles of the green chemistry. If you are interested you have this reference that analyzes several metals by ICP OES, but the same procedure can be applied to FAAS. "SILVA, FRANCISCO LUAN FONSÊCA DA; LOPES, GISELE SIMONE ; MATOS, WLADIANA OLIVEIRA . Determination of cadmium, cobalt, copper, lead, nickel and zinc content in saline produced water from the petroleum industry by ICP OES after cloud point extraction. Analytical Methods (Print), v. 23, p. 9844-9849, 2015."
after collecting the water samples you must acidify the samples then use preconcentation method or use extraction method for low concentration by strong cationic exchange resin then eluted by acid .On the other hand, you can use flame photometer is very easy and accurate .