Wet digestion methods for elemental analysis involve the chemical degradation of sample matrices in solution, usually with a combination of acids to increase solubility.
The various acid and flux treatments are carried out at high temperatures in specially designed vessels that help to minimize contamination of the sample with substances in the air, the local environment, and from the vessel walls.
Losses from the sample may occur due to adsorption onto the vessel walls, volatilization, and coextraction, but these can be reduced by procedural modifications.
The use of closed systems, where the digestion reaction is completely isolated from the surroundings, may help to reduce both contamination and sample loss.