A simultaneous, multi-element graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometric method was developed for the determination of several toxic elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Se) in various water samples (snow, tap, well, and highly mineralized). The transversely heated graphite atomizer (THGA) with Zeemaneffect background (BG) correction was applied throughout the study. Two sets of analytes, i.e., Cr-Cu and As-Cd-Pb-Se, were simultaneously determined by using standard and end-capped THGA tubes, respectively. During the drying and pyrolysis stages of the furnace heating program, 5% H2 was added to the internal furnace gas (Ar) in order to assist the action of the chemical modifiers, and to provide a prolonged lifetime of the THGA tubes. The effect of chloride and sulfate interferents as well as the composition/amount of the PdMg modifier was studied. Addition of SO4 2- matrix even at a relatively low concentration (500 mg/L) caused a more significant decrease in recovery than with the Cl" matrix, for instance, for As, Pb and Se, by applying low modifier amounts (5 μg Pd + 0.5 μg Mg). The best limit of detection (LOD) values acquired for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Se were 0.85, 0.05, 0.22, 0.21, 0.35, and 0.44 μg/L, respectively. Each of these LOD data is at least one order of magnitude lower than the maximum allowable concentration of these elements in drinking water (as legislated by WHO). The correlation coefficients obtained from linear fits to the calibration points were always better than 0.999 for each analyte. The upper limit of the linear range of calibration for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Se was 100, 5, 20, 50, 100, and 100 μg/L, respectively. The characteristic mass (m0) values were 21 pg As, 1.5 pg Cd, 3.8 pg Cr, 12 pg Cu, 28 pg Pb, and 36 pg Se. The concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, and Se in the water/snow samples ranged from nondetectable up to 14.8, 0.07, 6.3, and 1.9 μg/L, respectively, with averages of 2.1, 0.037, 2.3 and 0.71 μg/L, respectively. The Cu and Cr content of the samples was in the range of 0.7-249 and 0.035-1.7 μg/L, respectively, with averages of 26.6 and 0.24 μg/L, respectively. In the snow samples, strong correlations of As, Cr, Cu, Pb, and SO42- were found, but weak/anti-correlation with Cd and Se. The chloride content of snow was correlated with Se. These results show at least two sources of the studied elements in the atmosphere.