Determination of organic and inorganic mercury species in water and sediment samples by HPLC on-line coupled with ICP-MS.
This paper describes a preconcentration method for Hg(2+) and MeHg(+) in water samples using sodium diethyldithiocarbamate immobilized in polyurethane foam (PU-NaDDC) and an extraction method for several mercury species in sediment samples, including MeHg(+), EtHg(+) and PhHg(+), which is simple, rapid, and uses a single organic solvent. Separation and measurement were done by high-performance liquid chromatography on-line with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC/ICP-MS). Initially, the test of recovery was applied using procedures compatible with HPLC. Under the optimum extraction conditions, recoveries of 96.7, 96.3 and 97.3% were obtained for MeHg(+), EtHg(+), and PhHg(+), respectively, from n=4 spiked sediment samples. This study also demonstrates that the combination of solid-phase extraction on PU-NaDDC with HPLC separation and ICP-MS detection is an effective preconcentration procedure for simultaneous measurement of Hg(2+) and MeHg(+) at ultra-trace levels in water samples. The application of the proposed procedure to the determination of mercury species in drinking water sample was investigated. The proposed method clearly gave satisfactory average recoveries between 93.7 and 101.5%.
Departamento de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Vitória da Conquista, Bahia Zip 45083-900, Brazil. zesoares@uesb.br
José Soares
JS
dos Santos
Miguel
M
de la Guárdia
Augustin
A
Pastor
Maria Lúcia Pires
ML
dos Santos
D001938:Brazil; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D005035:Ethylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D005843:Geography; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D016014:Linear Models; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D017669:Mercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009941:Organomercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010663:Phenylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D045483:Rivers
D005035:Ethylmercury Compounds; D017669:Mercury Compounds; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D009941:Organomercury Compounds; D010663:Phenylmercury Compounds