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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Microbial and Chemical Food Safety » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #323623
Title: Speciation of mercury in fish by photochemical vapor generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry

Author
item Chen, Guoying
item MEI, NI - SHANGHAI INSTITUTE FOR FOOD AND DRUG CONTROL
item Lai, Bun-Hong

Submitted to: Spectrochimica Acta B
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/11/2017
Publication Date: 9/12/2017
Citation: Chen, G., Mei, N., Lai, B. 2017. Speciation of mercury in fish by photochemical vapor generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry. Spectrochimica Acta B. 137:1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2017.09.007.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2017.09.007

Interpretive Summary: A new method was developed to determine two types of mercury in fish. In the presence of formic acid, inorganic mercury was converted to vapor by visible light; then total mercury was converted to vapor by ultraviolet light. The vapor was quantified by fluorescence. From the difference between two measurements, organic mercury was calculated. This low-cost method eliminated sorbents and harmful chemicals, achieving high sensitivity and personnel friendliness.

Technical Abstract: Speciation of mercury in fish was fulfilled by photochemical vapor generation. Fish muscle samples were oven dried at 4 degrees C for 48 hrs. followed by microwave digestion. In the presence of formic acid, inorganic mercury (iHg) and total mercury were reduced to elemental vapor under visible and ultraviolet (UV) light, respectively. Quantification followed by atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). Methylmercury (MeHg+) concentration was calculated from the difference of AFS signals. Limit of detection (LOD) was 1.1 ng/g and recoveries were 104.2'6.3% and 97.6'3.5% for Hg++ and MeHg+, respectively, at 10 ng/g. Validation was performed using SRM NIST 1946 Lake Superior trout muscle. This green and friendly speciation method obviated sorbents and harmful reagents, and enhanced sample throughput.