The efficiencies of two types of chelating resins were evaluated and optimized for the extraction and determination of lead by flow injection graphite furnace and hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-HG-ETAAS) in environmental water samples. The optimum analytical conditions were examined and the analytical features of each method were revealed and compared in terms of sensitivity, selectivity and accuracy. Lead determination by FI-HG-ETAAS using [1,5-bis(2-pyridyl)-3-sulphophenyl methylene] thiocarbonohydrazide immobilised on aminopropyl-controlled pore glass (PSTH-cpg, 55 nm) provides a detection limit of 3.0 ng l−1 lead with a relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of 2.5% at the 50 ng l−1 level (n = 10) compared to silica gel funtionalized with methylthiosalicylate (TS-gel) which provides a detection limit of 82 ng l−1. Under the optimal experimental conditions, with the use of PSTH-cpg and a tungsten–rhodium coated graphite furnace, an enhancement factor of 20 was obtained with a sample consumption of 6.4 ml, while an enhancement factor of 3.5 was obtained with the use of TS-gel. Both methods have been applied to the determination of low levels of lead in environmental water samples. The results obtained show good agreement with certified or expected values.
