title: A new vapor generation system for mercury species based on the UV irradiation of mercaptoethanol used in the determination of total and methyl mercury in environmental and biological samples by atomic fluorescence spectrometry.
abstract: A new vapor generation system for mercury (Hg) species based on the irradiation of mercaptoethanol (ME) with UV was developed to provide an effective sample introduction unit for atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). Preliminary investigations of the mechanism of this novel vapor generation system were based on GC-MS and FT-IR studies. Under optimum conditions, the limits of determination for inorganic divalence mercury and methyl mercury were 60 and 50 pg mL(-1), respectively. Certified reference materials (BCR 463 tuna fish and BCR 580 estuarine sediment) were used to validate this new method, and the results agreed well with certified values. This new system provides an attractive alternative method of chemical vapor generation (CVG) of mercury species compared to other developed CVG systems (for example, the traditional KBH(4)/NaOH-acid system). To our knowledge, this is the first systematic report on UV/ME-based Hg species vapor generation and the determination of total and methyl Hg in environmental and biological samples using UV/ME-AFS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and the MOE Key Laboratory of Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
authors.forename: Yanmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Limin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Qiuquan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D008623:Mercaptoethanol / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013997:Time Factors; D014413:Tuna / Q000378:metabolism; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D008623:Mercaptoethanol; D008628:Mercury