Abstract
In this work, the photochemical vapor generation (PVG) coupled with atomic absorption spectrometry and a pre-concentration step with an Au column was used for the determination of Hg in biological samples and ethanol fuel. PVG with pre-concentration showed an up to 250-fold higher sensitivity compared to the approach without pre-concentration. The accuracy of analysis of biological samples was evaluated using certified reference materials (fish tissues), while for ethanol fuel samples, recovery tests were employed (91%). Analytical curves were linear (R > 0.99) in the studied range of 2.5 to 10 µg L-1 for conventional PVG and 0.2 to 0.5 µg L-1 for PVG with the pre-concentration step. For the last, the limits of detection reached for biological samples and ethanol fuel were 0.02 and 0.01 µg L-1, respectively. The systems presented are simple, sensitive and safe for the control of low Hg concentrations in different samples. However, only the system using pre-concentration with an Au column was capable of obtaining the reproduced signals of Hg in low concentrations of the order of 0.2 µg L-1.
Highlights
Mercury (Hg) is a toxic element and its introduction to the environment is mainly related to anthropogenic activities
The efficiency of photochemical vapor generation (PVG) in promoting the reduction of Hg and other elements depends on the type and concentration of low molecular weight acid in the solution
Formic acid is typically employed for PVG due to its ability to generate volatile species when combined with some elements, such as Hg
Summary
Mercury (Hg) is a toxic element and its introduction to the environment is mainly related to anthropogenic activities. When Hg comes into contact with aquatic environments, they can suffer methylation This process is the result of the bacterial action that converts inorganic Hg into its organic form, methylmercury (MeHg), which is the more toxic form. The organic species of Hg can be absorbed through biological lipid membranes of fish and become bioaccumulative Due to this fact, Hg can enter the human food chain by ingestion of fish and has neurotoxic potential when it interacts with the central nervous system.[1,2,3]. Besides Hg, others elements such as As, Cd, Fe, Mn, P, Pb and V can be released during the combustion.[4,5] the determination of metals in fuel is difficult due to the fact that their concentrations are generally low as fuel is a result of a distillation process. The validation of the proposed methodologies is not appropriate due to the absence of certified reference materials with concentration values for Hg.[6]
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