MERCURY ANALYSIS - A SPECIAL EXAMPLE OF SPECIES ANALYSIS

Mercury species analysis requires the determination of numerous different compounds with very different behaviour regarding environment and toxicity. For these differing species several new and more sensitive analytical methods have been developed and tested. Mercury species cannot be detected directly in most cases, and are normally derivatized by different agents and determined by different detector systems. In a new HPLC method with photometric detection more than 10 different organomercurials could be analysed as their thio-ethanol complexes. By alkylation of mercury compounds they can be separated by GC and analysed with an AAS or AFS as detector. Volatile organic species of Hg can be separated on Carbotrap(R), where Hg0 is not adsorbed, and analysed thereafter. With atomic fluorescence the detection limit for Hg0 measurement is improved significantly when compared with the widely used atomic absorption method. Results obtained with this new method are shown and discussed. Future developments for species analysis are outlined; not only to analyse the covalent metal - carbon/oxygen compounds - primary species-analysis - but also compounds with ionic or complex bonding: secondary species-analysis. With these developments, prediction of species behaviour in the environment, including toxicity assessment and decontamination proposals, should be made possible.