Trace determination of skin-irritating metals in tea tree oil by GFAAS

The measurements are performed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Although only a single-element method, it offers substantial advantages for the given analytical task. The oil sample can be applied directly without any sample pre-treatment, reducing time and labour as well as the risk of contamination by the reagents used for digestion. The method is optimised for each analyte regarding drying, pyrolysis and atomisation step, and the application of modifiers. The obtained characteristic masses for the elements analysed are close to the comparative values. Thus, the proposed method can be used for the analyses of tea tree oil. It is supposed that this method is also appropriate for investigating other oils used for instance in aromatherapy or for massages.