Sensitive determination method for mercury ion, methyl-, ethyl-, and phenyl-mercury in water and biological samples using high-performance liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence detection.
A sensitive determination method for mercury speciation analysis was developed.  Four mercury species, mercury ion, methylmercury, ethylmercury, and phenylmercury, were complexed with emetine-dithiocarbamate (emetine-CS(2)), and then injected onto a HPLC instrument coupled with a tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(III) chemiluminescence detection system.  The emetine-CS(2) complexing agent was effectively used to measure the concentration in addition to serving as a separation and detection reagent.  The calibration curves for these mercury complexes were linear in the range of 0.050 - 10 μg L(-1) (as Hg).  The limit of detection for (emetine-CS(2))(2)Hg, emetine-CS(2)-methylmercury, emetine-CS(2)-ethylmercury, and emetine-CS(2)-phenylmercury were 30, 17, 21, and 22 ng L(-1), respectively.  The sensitivity of this method enables the determination of mercury species in water samples at sub-ppb levels.  Furthermore, the method was applied to biological samples in combination with acid leaching and liquid-liquid extraction using emetine-CS(2) as an extraction reagent.  The determination results were in good agreement with the values of the certified reference materials.
Division of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890–0065, Japan.
Hitoshi
H
Kodamatani
Akito
A
Matsuyama
Keiitsu
K
Saito
Yuriko
Y
Kono
Ryo
R
Kanzaki
Takashi
T
Tomiyasu
D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005035:Ethylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005399:Fishes; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000379:methods*; D008628:Mercury / 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; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005035:Ethylmercury Compounds; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D009941:Organomercury Compounds; D010663:Phenylmercury Compounds; D014867:Water; D008628:Mercury