title: Optimization of microwave digestion for mercury determination in marine biological samples by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry.
abstract: Optimization of acid digestion method for mercury determination in marine biological samples (dolphin liver, fish and mussel tissues) using a closed vessel microwave sample preparation is presented. Five digestion procedures with different acid mixtures were investigated: the best results were obtained when the microwave-assisted digestion was based on sample dissolution with HNO3-H2SO4-K2Cr2O7 mixture. A comparison between microwave digestion and conventional reflux digestion shows there are considerable losses of mercury in the open digestion system. The microwave digestion method has been tested satisfactorily using two certified reference materials. Analytical results show a good agreement with certified values. The microwave digestion proved to be a reliable and rapid method for decomposition of biological samples in mercury determination.
authors.affiliation: C.N.R.-Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero, Sede di Taranto, via Roma 3, 74100 Taranto, Italy. n.cardellicchio@iamc.cnr.it
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cardellicchio
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Leo
authors.forename: Santina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giandomenico
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santoro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia; D004289:Dolphins; D005399:Fishes; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D008872:Microwaves; D012015:Reference Standards; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury