(Received 2 April 2005, Accepted 2 October 2005)

Flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) is an accepted and widely used method for the determination of trace elements in a great variety of samples. But its sensitivity doesn’t meet the demands of trace and ultra-trace analysis for some samples. The derivative signal processing technique, with a very high capability for enhancing sensitivity, was developed for FAAS. The signal models of conventional FAAS are described. The equations of derivative signals are established for FAAS, flow injection atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-FAAS) and atom trapping flame atomic absorption spectrometry (AT-FAAS). The principle and performance of the derivative atomic absorption spectrometry are evaluated. The derivative technique based on determination of variation rate of signal intensity with time (dI/dt) is different from the derivative spectrophotometry (DS) based on determination of variation rate of signal intensity with wavelength (dI/dl). Derivative flame atomic absorption spectrometry (DFAAS) has higher sensitivity, lower detection limits and better accuracy. It has been applied to the direct determination of trace elements without preconcentration. If the derivative technique was combined with several preconcentration techniques, the sensitivity would be enhanced further for ultra-trace analysis with good linearity. The applications of DFAAS are reviewed for trace element analysis in biological,

Keywords: Signal models, Derivative technique, Atomic absorption spectrometry, Analytical performance, Trace analysis