Flameless atomic absorption analyses of mercury in model aquatic systems

Abstract

Chemical models of freshwater and seawater (34‰ S) have been used to examine the effect of humic material on the analysis of mercury by flameless atomic absorption spectrometry. Solutions containing mercuric chloride (1 μg Hg 1 −1) and various concentrations of humic material were allowed to attain equilibrium under carefully controlled conditions. In both media, association between the inorganic and organic entities took place within 90 min at pH ≥ 7 and the organically bound mercury was not detected by an analytical method designed for inorganic mercury. The amount of detectable mercury was related to the quantity of humic material added to the solutions. In experiments involving changes of pH the model solutions showed three characteristics: (1) a flat response in the neutral and alkaline pH range, where the humates are apparently stable; (2) a minima in the pH range 2–4 where the formation of an acid flocculent appears to remove additional mercury from solution: (3) at pH = 1, some release of mercury occurs from the organic precipitate. Photolysis studies using the model freshwater solutions showed that total mercury measurements could be made after 2 h irradiation at pH = 1. Using the same technique methylmercury chloride and diphenylmercury decomposed within 1 h. These results are relevant to routine and analyses of total mercury in natural waters.