The interference from coexisting chloride in the determination of metals by atomic absorption spectrometry with a graphite furnace could be removed by the carbon powder which was suspended in the sample solution or placed in the furnace. In order to form carbon powder in the graphite furnace at ashing step of operation, the addition of sucrose to the sample solution was also investigated. The effect produced by this method was more than that by suspension of carbon powder, but less than that by addition of EDTA. These results indicate that the formation of carbon powder from sucrose or EDTA in the furnace contributes to the removal efficiency of sucrose or EDTA on the chloride interference, however the interaction between analyte and additive in the solution acts largely on that.