Non-chromatographic screening method for the determination of mercury species. Application to the monitoring of mercury levels in Antarctic samples

PACHECO, P.H., SPISSO, A., CERUTTI, S., SMICHOWSKI, P., MARTÍNEZ, L.D.

TALANTA

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2010 vol. 82 p. 1505 - 1510

0039-9140

A simple non-chromatographic method for the determination of mercury (Hg2+), methylmercury (MeHg+), dimethylmercury (Me2Hg), and phenylmercury (PhHg+) employing atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS) as detection technique was developed. Mercury species showed a particular behavior in the presence of several reagents. In a first stage SnCl2 was employed for Hg2+ determination; in a second step, [Hg2+ + PhHg+] concentration was determined using SnCl2 and UV radiation. MeHg+ decomposition was prevented adding 2-mercaptoethanol. In a third stage, [Hg2+ + PhHg+ + MeHg+] concentration was determined using K2S2O8. Finally, the four species were determined employing NaBH4. Reagents concentration and flow rates were optimized. The extraction technique of mercury species involved the use of 2-mercaptoethanol as ion-pair reagent. The limits of detection for Hg2+, PhHg+, MeHg+, and Me2Hg were 1, 40, 68, and 99 ng L−1 with a relative standard deviation of 1.5, 3.1, 4.7 and 5.8%, respectively. Calibration curve was linear with a correlation factor equal to 0.9995. The method was successfully applied to the determination of the mercury species in two Antarctic materials: IRMM 813 (Adamussium colbecki) and MURST-ISS-A2 (Antarctic Krill).