On-line preconcentration and determination of ultra trace amounts of mercury using surfactant coated alumina modified by dithizone with cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry

RSC Advances Pub Date: 2013-10-23 DOI: 10.1039/C3RA43712D

Abstract

The potential of an inexpensive dithizone immobilized on ammonium lauryl sulfate alumina adsorbent to separate and preconcentrate traces of mercury from vegetables and ground water has been evaluated. A cartridge filled with 100 mg of adsorbent was incorporated to an on-line vapor generation accessory system. Traces of mercury in sample solutions were pumped through the cartridges for 2 min (flow rate of 5 mL min?1) and then eluted from the cartridges with 1 M hydrochloric acid for 1 min at a flow rate of 1 mL min?1. At the same time that mercury is eluted from the cartridges, the eluate is mixed with a 0.02% (m/v) sodium borohydride solution and the mercury cold vapor is swept through the atomization cell with a nitrogen flow of 50 mL min?1. The overall procedure (mercury separation–preconcentration and mercury cold vapor generation–atomization) is completed in around 3 min. The developed method achieves an enrichment factor of 125 with a limit of detection of 0.12 ng mL?1. The repeatability and the accuracy of the overall procedure were successfully assessed.

Graphical abstract: On-line preconcentration and determination of ultra trace amounts of mercury using surfactant coated alumina modified by dithizone with cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry
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