A1 Journal article (refereed)
Addition of thiourea and hydrochloric acid : Accurate nanogram level analysis of mercury in humic-rich natural waters by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (2020)
Kulomäki, S., Perämäki, S., & Väisänen, A. (2020). Addition of thiourea and hydrochloric acid : Accurate nanogram level analysis of mercury in humic-rich natural waters by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Talanta, 218, Article 121125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121125
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Kulomäki, Suvi; Perämäki, Siiri; Väisänen, Ari
Journal or series: Talanta
ISSN: 0039-9140
eISSN: 1873-3573
Publication year: 2020
Volume: 218
Article number: 121125
Publisher: Elsevier
Publication country: Netherlands
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121125
Publication open access: Not open
Publication channel open access:
Abstract
An analytical method was developed for the direct determination of total mercury in natural waters at low ng L−1 level by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The presented method overcomes previously observed problems relating to poor spike recoveries by adding 0.12% thiourea in addition to 3% HCl to all samples and standards. The sample preparation is fast and easy to perform by the developed method since it requires only the addition of HCl and thiourea to the water samples. A very low instrument detection limit (0.4 ng L−1) was obtained without time-consuming preconcentration procedures. The accuracy and precision of the developed method were found excellent by the analysis of a certified groundwater reference material (ERM-CA615). The determined Hg concentration of 38.6 ± 0.5 ng L−1 was within the 95% confidence interval of the certified concentration of 37 ± 4 ng L−1. The analysis of natural water samples showed that total mercury levels ranged from concentrations lower than the method detection limit (2.0 ng L−1) to 10.9 ng L−1. Excellent recoveries of 96–108% for inorganic mercury (iHg) and 102–110% for methylmercury (MeHg) were obtained for spiked humic-rich natural water samples. To our knowledge, the developed method is the first ICP-MS method for the analysis of humic-rich natural water samples at ng L−1 concentrations without the need for hyphenated techniques or preconcentration procedures.
Keywords: environmental chemistry; chemical analysis; water analysis; mercury; concentration (chemical properties); spectrometry; hydrochloric acid; humus lakes
Free keywords: total mercury; ultra-trace concentration; inductively coupled plasma mass; spectrometry; humic-rich natural water; thiourea; hydrochloric acid
Contributing organizations
Related projects
- New ways to solve the mercury problem in inland waterways – Development of determination and sampling methods for methylmercury
- Kulomäki, Suvi
- Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2020
JUFO rating: 1