Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization Limestone Avenue Campbell A.C.T. RO. Box 225 Dickson A.C.T. 2602 Tel. 48 4257 (Media Office) 47 8996 (After hrs.) Cables Coresearch Telex 62003 PR 16

' 25 August 1975.

NEW ADVANCES IN ATOMIC SPECTROSCOPY

(S tatem ent by th e  M in is te r f o r  S cience and Consumer  A f f a ir s , th e  Honourable Clyde R. Cameron, M .P.)

: The M in iste r f o r  S cience and Consumer A f f a ir s , Mr. Clyde R. Cameron,

! s a id  today im portant new developm ents in  atom ic sp ec tro sc o p y  announced

: t h i s  morning, would confirm  A u s t r a l i a 's  p o s itio n  as a w orld le a d e r in

i th e  f i e l d .

Mr. Cameron s a id  s e n io r  CSIRO s c i e n t i s t  Dr. Alan Walsh, in  h is

ch airm an 's address to  th e  F if th  I n te r n a tio n a l Atomic S pectrscopy

: Conference in  M elbourne, had announced a new v e rs io n  o f-o n e o f CSIRO's

best-know n in v e n tio n s , th e  atom ic a b s o rp tio n  sp ectro p h o to m ete r.

The new v e rs io n  e lim in a te d  th e  n e c e s s ity  f o r  th e  p re s e n t m odel's

most expensive component, a l i g h t - f i l t e r i n g  device c a lle d  a monochromator,  ÃÂ¯ -

1  and m ight p u t s w i f t, a c c u ra te  chem ical a n a ly s is  w ith in  th e  f in a n c ia l

; reach o f d eveloping c o u n tr ie s , sm all f a c to r ie s  and e d u c a tio n a l

: i n s t i t u t i o n s .  _

, Mr. Cameron s a id  th a t  d u rin g  th e  fiv e -d a y  co n feren ce a t Monash

! U n iv e rs ity , o th e r members o f Dr. W alsh's re s e a rc h  team a t CSIRO's

1  D iv isio n  o f  Chemical P hysics would g ive d e t a i l s  o f  f u r th e r  in n o v a tio n s

1  ' . . Ã¢ÂÂ

| which could lead  to :

i ' '

! . :

. A n  atom ic a b so rp tio n  sp e c tro p h o to m e te r cap ab le o f  a n a ly sin g  m etals

; in  s o l i d  sam ples w ith o u t r e q u ir in g  them to  be d is s o lv e d  in  s o lu tio n s .

I . A nother v e rs io n  cap ab le o f  a n a ly sin g  powders w ith o u t d is s o lv in g

them in  s o lu tio n s .

i Mr. Cameron s tr e s s e d  th e  new id e a s were s t i l l  b e in g  developed, and

| w hile th ey  were very p ro m isin g , m ight n o t see commercial p ro d u c tio n  in

i th e  immediate fu tu r e .

Much would depend, how ever, on th e  response o f  p o te n tia l m anufacturers

i who had s e n t r e p r e s e n ta tiv e s  to  th e  conference.

i

2-

The o r ig i n a l atom ic a b so rp tio n  sp ec tro p h o to m ete r, Mr. Cameron s a id ,

had been h a ile d  by s c i e n t i s t s  in  many d is c i p lin e s  as th e  g r e a te s t

advance in  chem ical a n a ly s is  t h i s  century.Â·

In th e  p a s t decade i t  had r e v o lu tio n is e d  chemical a n a ly s is , allo w in g  Ã¢ÂÂ

an aly ses which form erly took days o f  p a in s ta k in g  la b o ra to ry  work to  be

c a r r ie d  o u t w ith in  m in u te s.

Some o f i t s  a p p lic a tio n s  in c lu d e d  d e te c tio n  o f m ineral d e f ic ie n c ie s

in  b lo o d , a n a ly s is  o f  ore sam ples, s o i l s ,  p la n t and animal t i s s u e ,

and sam pling m otor o i l s  f o r  th e  p re sen c e  o f  m etal p a r t i c l e s  which

in d ic a te d  m otor wear.

Tne atom ic a b so rp tio n  sp ec tro p h o to m ete r a ls o  p la y ed  a b ig  ro le

in  consumer p r o te c tio n , b e in g  used by th e  food and d rin k  in d u s try

to  d e te c t such th in g s  as c o rro s io n  in  canned fo o d s, mercury and zin c

le v e ls  in  sea fo o d s, and m etal c o n tam in atio n  o f o th e r  f o o d s tu f f s .

Mr. Cameron s a id  a CSIRO c o s t- b e n e f it a n a ly s is  had e s tim a te d  th e

in v e n tio n 's  n e t v alu e to  th e  A u s tra lia n  economy through e a rn in g s,

sav in g s to  in d u s try  and c o n trib u tio n  to  employment would be a t l e a s t

$120 m illio n  by 1978.

CANBERRA 25 August 1975.

Media C o ntact: Wendy Parsons  Media O ffic e   CSIRO

_  C anberra

Telephone: 48 4479

(Home): 54 1382

