Abstract
Tetramethylene dithiocarbamate (TMDTC), diethyldithiocarbamate (DEDTC), and thiourea were investigated as stabilizing agents for calibration purposes in the determination of mercury using solid sampling electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (SS-ETAAS). These agents were used for complexation of mercury in calibration solutions and its thermal stabilization in a solid sampling platform. The calibration solutions had the form of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) extracts or MIBK-methanol solutions with the TMDTC and DEDTC chelates and aqueous solutions with thiourea complexes. The best results were obtained for MIBK-methanol solutions in the presence of 2.5 g L−1 TMDTC. The surface of graphite platforms for solid sampling was modified with palladium or rhenium by using electrodeposition from a drop of solutions. The Re modifier is preferable due to a higher lifetime of platform coating. A new SS-ETAAS procedure using the direct sampling of solid samples into a platform with an Re modified graphite surface and the calibration against MIBK-methanol solutions in the presence of TMDTC is proposed for the determination of mercury content in solid environmental samples, such as soil and plants.
Highlights
Mercury and its compounds belong among the most toxic contaminants and have the ability to bioaccumulate
A new SS-ETAAS procedure using the direct sampling of solid samples into a platform with an Re modified graphite surface and the calibration against methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK)-methanol solutions in the presence of tetramethylene dithiocarbamate (TMDTC) is proposed for the determination of mercury content in solid environmental samples, such as soil and plants
The switch from the calibration solutions to the samples on the modified surface can play a certain role. It can be connected with increased precision of mercury determination using calibration solutions in the presence of TMDTC. Agents such as TMDTC, DEDTC, and thiourea were investigated for complexation of mercury in calibration solutions and its thermal stabilization in a solid sampling platform in the determination of mercury using SS-ETAAS
Summary
Mercury and its compounds belong among the most toxic contaminants and have the ability to bioaccumulate. The main sources of mercury are volcanic activity, combustion of coal, and other human activities, through which mercury is released into water, soil, and sediments, whereby it enters into the food chain and causes health damages. The study of mercury content in environmental samples is very important [1,2,3]. The solid samples are weighed on a graphite platform, which is inserted into a graphite tube. The advantages of this method are the use of a very small amount of sample and little sample pretreatment. The precision and accuracy of the results depend on the weighing process, distribution of particles in the sample, and its homogeneity. The disadvantages are increases in interferences and calibration technique [1, 2, 4,5,6,7,8,9,10]
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