Graphite-Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry of Organomercury and Organoselenium in Extracts of Biological Samples with an Organopalladium Matrix Modifier

Abstract

The sensitivity of organomercury in organic solutions has been found to be enhanced by applying 15 µl of an ethanol solution of Pd(acac)2 (500 µgPd mL1, acac is acetylacetonate) to a graphite-furnace, which is then heated to make a Pd coating on the furnace. After this treatment, an ethanol solution of the sample is injected to the furnace and measured. With this method, the detection limit of organomercury was found to be 0.25 ng. In a slightly different way, in which 2 ml of an ethanol solution of PdCl2(PhCN)2 (1000 µgPd ml-') was added as a matrix modifier to 3 ml of an ethanol solution of organoselenium, selenium was determined with a detection limit of 0.12 ng. These methods can be successfully applied to the determinations of organomercury and organoselenium in an extract solution of a dolphin liver.