Atomic absorption spectrometric determination of ultra-trace amounts of mercury in waters

Abstract

A sorption method using the chelating ion exchanger Spheron Thiol was developed for the preconcentration of mercury. To avoid a complicated and problematic desorption, direct atomic absorption spectrometric determination of mercury in the solid sorbent by the use of a TMA-254 spectrometer (trace mercury analyser) was applied. The limit of determination was 0.2 ng l–1 using 1000 ml of water and 0.1 g of Spheron Thiol. The precision of the method expressed as relative standard deviation was 10%. The accuracy of the method was checked by the standard additions technique. The method was applied to the determination of mercury in different types of waters.