title: Selective determination method for measurement of methylmercury and ethylmercury in soil/sediment samples using high-performance liquid chromatography-chemiluminescence detection coupled with simple extraction technique.
abstract: A method for the simultaneous determination of monomethylmercury (MeHg(+)) and monoethylmercury (EtHg(+)) in soil/sediment samples was developed. The method involves eluting mercury species from the soil/sediment samples using 5M HCl containing 5mM Pd(2+) and 0.1M Cu(2+) and then extracting MeHg(+) and EtHg(+) into toluene as chlorides. These alkylmercury chlorides are then back-extracted into an aqueous EDTA solution, creating EDTA complexes. Finally, an emetine-dithiocarbamate (emetineCS2) solution is added to the EDTA solution to form emetineCS2-alkylmercury complexes. EmetineCS2-MeHg and emetineCS2-EtHg were separated using reverse-phase HPLC and then detected by the chemiluminescence reaction with tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(III). The MeHg(+) and EtHg(+) calibration curves, using the peak height, were linear from 0.5 to 20ng (as Hg). The detection limit was 0.16ng/g (analyzing 1g soil or sediment). The procedure was validated by analyzing a certified reference material (ERM CC580, estuarine sediment). The MeHg(+) concentration determined using the proposed method was in good agreement with the certified value, and EtHg(+) was detected in the reference material. A preliminary study of the relationship between environmental mercury concentrations and MeHg(+) production was performed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Earth and Environmental science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, 1-21-35 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kodamatani
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tomiyasu
mesh_terms: D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D056148:Chromatography, Reverse-Phase / Q000379:methods; D005035:Ethylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D005035:Ethylmercury Compounds; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants