Determination of methylmercury in two mussel tissue Standard Reference Materials by pre-irradiation separation and neutron activation analysis

• Published in: Analyst (London) 1998, Vol.123 (5), p.779-783
• Main Authors: MACKEY, E. A, BECKER, D. A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Techniques
• ISSN: 0003-2654; 1364-5528
• DOI: 10.1039/a707453k

Organic mercury was determined in the standard reference materials, SRM 2974 (Organics in Freeze-Dried Mussel Tissue), SRM 2976 (Mussel Tissue) and IAEA-350 (Tuna Homogenate) by pre-irradiation acid distillation onto cysteine-loaded filter-papers followed by neutron activation analysis. The distillation procedure involved mixing the powdered sample (200-250 mg) with sulphuric acid and copper sulphate in a Conway dish. Almost all of the organically bound mercury in the 2 mussel tissues (at least 99 per cent) was present in the form of methylmercury using other techniques. The mean organic mercury concentration for 4 replicate analyses of IAEA-350 was 3.61 ug per g, compared with a certified value of 3.65 ug per g. The mean concentrations for 7 analyses of SRM 2976 and 5 analyses of SRM 2974 were 27.9 ng per g and 78.3 ng per g, respectively. The results for the 2 mussel tissues were in good agreement with those obtained by other investigators using 3 different methods and were used in the assignment of certified methylmercury concentrations for these materials.