Methylmercury and inorganic mercury detrmiantion in fish by cold vapour generation atomic absorption spectrometry

摘要

Given that organic mercuy is more deangerous than the inorganic form and that it is converted into methylmercury by biological methylation, we have studied and optimized a simple method for measuring both organic and inorganic mercury contents in fish, using a spetroscopic vapour generation technique, with a sequential reduction of the digested sample with stannous chloride and sodium tetrahydroborate vapour generation technique, with a sequential reduction of the digested sample with stannous chloride and sodium tetrahydroborate. Prior to applying the method the sample was subjected to alkaline wet digestion. Due to the matrix interferences calibration curves with matrix addition were needed for mercury determinations.