In partial digestion and/or selective digestion procedures only part or some of the
analytes present are brought into solution. This may be preferred to total
decomposition if relative concentrations of the analyte in the test samples provide sufficient
information (e.g. materials for geochemical exploration).
Source:
PAC, 1988, 60, 1461
(Nomenclature, symbols, units and their usage in spectrochemical analysis-X. Preparation
of materials for analytical atomic spectroscopy and other related techniques (Recommendations
1988))
on page 1469