Determination of organomercury in biological reference materials by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry using flow injection analysis

Journal Article · Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1988 · Anal. Chem.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ac00174a012· OSTI ID:6476646

Beauchemin, D; Siu, K W; Berman, S S

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used for the determination of organomercury in two marine biological standard reference materials for trace metals (dogfish muscle tissue DORM-1 and lobster hepatopancreas TORT-1). In most parts of this study, the organomercury was extracted as the chloride from the material with toluene and back extracted into an aqueous medium of cysteine acetate. Since the final extracts contained more than 4% sodium, isotope dilution and flow injection analysis were used to respectively counter the effect of concomitant elements and avoid clogging the interface. Comparison of results with gas chromatography shows that the only significant organomercury is methyl-mercury. At least 93% of mercury in DORM-1 and 39% of mercury in TORT-1 exist as methylmercury.

• Research Organization: National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
• OSTI ID: 6476646
• Journal Information: Anal. Chem.; (United States), Vol. 60:23
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
FISHES
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
LOBSTERS
MUSCLES
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUID FLOW
INJECTION
PLASMA
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARTHROPODS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CRUSTACEANS
DATA
DECAPODS
INFORMATION
INTAKE
INVERTEBRATES
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
SPECTROSCOPY
VERTEBRATES
400102* - Chemical & Spectral Procedures
550200 - Biochemistry