PHASE SYSTEMS AND POST-COLUMN DITHIZONE REACTION DETECTION FOR THE ANALYSIS OF ORGANOMERCURIALS BY HPLC

The suitability of HPLC (normal and reversed phase adsorption) with UV or post-column reaction detection for the analysis of organomercurials was investigated systematically. The separation of organomercurials is best carried out on a reversed phase system with a C-8 bonded phase material as the stationary phase and acetonitrile-aqueous sodium bromide mixtures as the mobile phase. The precision and detection limit of the method and the efficiency of the extraction procedure were established. For the alkylmercury compounds the lowest limit of detection (80 ppb) was obtained with the dithizone reaction detection and for the phenylmercury compounds with UV detection (60 ppb). A chromatogram of a spiked fish (2 ppm Hg) and a river water sample (50 ppbHg) is shown. © 1979, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.