A new kind of glow discharge atomizer, a thin-walled metallic hollow cathode (TMHC) combined with Zeeman atomic absorption spectrometry using high frequency modulated light polarization (ZAAS-HFM), is studied. A theoretically suggested, and experimentally confirmed, model of the atom confinement in the TMHC yields the appearance of the diffusion traps for atoms at both ends of the cathode, which increases the residence time of the analyte atoms in the analysis volume. The high atomization efficiency in the glow discharge atomizer (caused by the ionic-thermal mechanism of sputtering) and the high selectivity of ZAAS-HFM are demonstrated in the analysis of complex matrix samples such as whole blood and urine. The analytical system TMHC + ZAAS-HFM is characterized by low detection limits, which are comparable to those of graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Owing to its rather low average power consumption (30-50 W) the TMHC can be used in a portable and mobile spectrometer, and is therefore suitable for the in situ analysis of various sample materials.
