Rapid pre-concentration of mercury in solids and water for isotopic analysis

February 11, 2019

The precise quantification of mercury (Hg) stable isotope compositions in low concentration or dilute samples poses analytical challenges due to Hg mass limitations. Common Hg pre-concentration procedures require extended processing times, making rapid Hg stable isotope measurements challenging. Here we present a modified pre-concentration method that combines commonly used Hg reduction and gold trap amalgamation followed by semi-rapid thermal desorption (less than 1 h) and chemical trapping. This custom designed system was demonstrated to perform adequately on multiple trapping matrices including a new bromine monochloride (BrCl) wet oxidant trap (40% 3HNO₃:BrCl), capable of trapping consistently in 2 mL volume over a wide range of Hg masses (5–200 ng). The procedure was also shown to work effectively on natural matrices, waters and sediments, producing comparable isotope results to the direct digestion analyses. Here, we present a method that can effectively triple sample throughput in comparison to traditional procedures, and also access lower concentration matrices without compromising the accuracy or precision of Hg isotope measurements.

Citation Information

Publication Year	2019
Title	Rapid pre-concentration of mercury in solids and water for isotopic analysis
DOI	10.1016/j.aca.2018.12.026
Authors	Sarah E. Janssen, Ryan F. Lepak, Michael T. Tate, Jacob M. Ogorek, John F. DeWild, Christopher L. Babiarz, James P. Hurley, David P. Krabbenhoft
Publication Type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Series Title	Analytica Chimica Acta
Index ID	70202095
Record Source	USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization	Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Rapid pre-concentration of mercury in solids and water for isotopic analysis

Citation Information

Research Chemist

Mercury Research Laboratory Team Lead

Biologist

Mercury Research Laboratory Manager

Hydrologic Technician

Scientist Emeritus

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