Total mercury and mercury species in birds and fish in an aquatic ecosystem in the Czech Republic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Houserova, Pavlina [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Kuban, Vlastimil [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno (Czech Republic)]. E-mail: kuban@mendelu.cz; Kracmar, Stanislav [Department of Animal Nutrition, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Sitko, Jilji [Commenius Museum, Moravian Ornithological Station, Horni nam. 1, Prerov CZ-751 52 (Czech Republic)

2007-01-15

Total mercury and mercury species (methylmercury-MeHg, inorganic mercury - Hg{sup 2+}) were determined in the aquatic ecosystem Zahlinice (Czech Republic). Four tissues (muscle, intestines, liver and kidney) of three bird species - cormorant, great crested grebe and Eurasian buzzard, muscle tissues of common carp, grass carp, northern pike, goldfish, common tench, perch and rudd, aquatic plants (reed mace and common reed), sediments and water were analysed. Relative contents of MeHg (of total Hg) were in the range from 71% to 94% and from 15% up to 62% in the muscle and intestines and in liver, respectively, for all birds. Statistically significant differences were found between contents of MeHg in liver tissues of young and adult cormorant populations (F {sub 4.6} = 56.71, P < 10{sup -5}). Relative contents of MeHg in muscle tissues of fishes were in the range from 65.1% to 87.9% of total Hg. - The distribution of the mercury species among the organs of the individual birds is discussed.

Total mercury, methyl mercury, and carbon in fresh and burned plants and soil in Northwestern Ontario

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mailman, M. [Department of Zoology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man. R3T 2N2 (Canada); Freshwater Institute, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, Man. R3T 2N6 (Canada)]. E-mail: mailmanma@dfo-mpo.gc.ca; Bodaly, R.A. [Department of Zoology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man. R3T 2N2 (Canada); Freshwater Institute, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, Man. R3T 2N6 (Canada)

2005-11-15

Terrestrial plants and soil contain substantial amounts of organic carbon (C) and mercury. Flooding terrestrial areas stimulates microbial methyl mercury (MeHg) production and fish obtain elevated MeHg concentrations. Our purpose was to determine the loss of C, total mercury (THg), and MeHg from boreal plants and soil after burning to assess the potential of burning before flooding to lower MeHg. Fresh plants contained 4 to 52 ng g{sup -1} dry weight (dw) of THg and 0.1 to 1.3 ng g{sup -1} dw of MeHg. Upland soils contained 162{+-}132 ng g{sup -1} dw of THg and 0.6{+-}0.6 ng g{sup -1} dw of MeHg. Complete burning caused plants to lose 96, 98, 97, and 94% of the mass, C, THg, and MeHg, respectively. Upland soil lost 27, 95, 79, and 82% of the mass, C, THg, and MeHg, respectively. Our results demonstrated that a substantial loss of C, THg, and MeHg was caused by burning. - Burning terrestrial vegetation and soil causes substantial losses of organic carbon, total mercury, and methyl mercury.

Total mercury, methyl mercury, and carbon in fresh and burned plants and soil in Northwestern Ontario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mailman, M.; Bodaly, R.A.

2005-01-01

Terrestrial plants and soil contain substantial amounts of organic carbon (C) and mercury. Flooding terrestrial areas stimulates microbial methyl mercury (MeHg) production and fish obtain elevated MeHg concentrations. Our purpose was to determine the loss of C, total mercury (THg), and MeHg from boreal plants and soil after burning to assess the potential of burning before flooding to lower MeHg. Fresh plants contained 4 to 52 ng g -1 dry weight (dw) of THg and 0.1 to 1.3 ng g -1 dw of MeHg. Upland soils contained 162±132 ng g -1 dw of THg and 0.6±0.6 ng g -1 dw of MeHg. Complete burning caused plants to lose 96, 98, 97, and 94% of the mass, C, THg, and MeHg, respectively. Upland soil lost 27, 95, 79, and 82% of the mass, C, THg, and MeHg, respectively. Our results demonstrated that a substantial loss of C, THg, and MeHg was caused by burning. - Burning terrestrial vegetation and soil causes substantial losses of organic carbon, total mercury, and methyl mercury

Vertical Distribution of Total Mercury and Mercury Methylation in a Landfill Site in Japan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Yang

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Mercury is a neurotoxin, with certain organic forms of the element being particularly harmful to humans. The Minamata Convention was adopted to reduce the intentional use and emission of mercury. Because mercury is an element, it cannot be decomposed. Mercury-containing products and mercury used for various processes will eventually enter the waste stream, and landfill sites will become a mercury sink. While landfill sites can be a source of mercury pollution, the behavior of mercury in solid waste within a landfill site is still not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the depth profile of mercury, the levels of methyl mercury (MeHg, and the factors controlling methylation in an old landfill site that received waste for over 30 years. Three sampling cores were selected, and boring sampling was conducted to a maximum depth of 18 m, which reached the bottom layer of the landfill. Total mercury (THg and MeHg were measured in the samples to determine the characteristics of mercury at different depths. Bacterial species were identified by 16S rRNA amplification and sequencing, because the methylation process is promoted by a series of genes. It was found that the THg concentration was 19–975 ng/g, with a geometric mean of 298 ng/g, which was slightly less than the 400 ng/g concentration recorded 30 years previously. In some samples, MeHg accounted for up to 15–20% of THg, which is far greater than the general level in soils and sediments, although the source of MeHg was unclear. The genetic data indicated that hgcA was present mostly in the upper and lower layers of the three cores, merA was almost as much as hgcA, while the level of merB was hundreds of times less than those of the other two genes. A significant correlation was found between THg and MeHg, as well as between MeHg and MeHg/THg. In addition, a negative correlation was found between THg and merA. The coexistence of the three genes indicated that both

Determination of total mercury in fillets of sport fishes collected from Folsom Reservoir, California, 2006

Science.gov (United States)

May, Thomas W.; Brumbaugh, William G.

2007-01-01

This report presents the results of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, done in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, to determine mercury concentrations in selected sport fishes from Folsom Reservoir in California. Fillets were collected from each fish sample, and after homogenization and lyophilization of fish fillets, mercury concentrations were determined with a direct mercury analyzer utilizing the process of thermal combustion-gold amalgamation atomic absorption spectroscopy. Mercury concentrations in fillets ranged from 0.031 to 0.20 micrograms per gram wet weight in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) samples and 0.071 to 0.16 micrograms per gram wet weight in bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) samples. Mercury concentration was 0.98 microgram per gram wet weight in a single spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus) sample, which was the only one in the sample set which exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's fish consumption advisory of 0.30 microgram per gram wet weight.

Determination of mercury in seawater by total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectrometry after an electrochemical preconcentration method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritschel, A.; Chinea Cano, E.; Wobrauschek, P.; Kuntner, C.; Durakbasa, M.N.

2000-01-01

A new combined method of electrodeposition of trace elements on metallic plates with subsequent total-reflection x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) is proposed for the determination of trace metals in natural waters. The elements of interest are electroplated on highly polished niobium discs which are used as sample carriers for the TXRF measurement. The electrochemical preconcentration is performed in a flow cell under a controlled working electrode potential. The preconcentration step involves only very little manipulation which minimizes the risk of contamination of the sample. The method was investigated by analyzing inorganic mercury in sea water. A detection limit of 7 ngl -1 could be achieved for mercury in a 40 ml sea water sample. (author)

Determination of dietary intake of total arsenic, inorganic arsenic and total mercury in the Chilean school meal program.

Science.gov (United States)

Bastías, J M; Bermúdez, M; Carrasco, J; Espinoza, O; Muñoz, M; Galotto, M J; Muñoz, O

2010-10-01

The dietary intake of total arsenic (tAs), inorganic arsenic (iAs) and total mercury (tHg) in lunch and breakfast servings provided by the Chilean School Meal Program (SMP) was estimated, using the duplicate-portion variant of the total diet study. Lunch and breakfast samples were collected from 65 schools throughout the country in 2006. The population sample was a group of girls and boys between 6 and 18 years old. The tAs concentration was measured via hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry. The total mercury concentration was measured via cold-vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy. The estimated iAs intake was 12.5% (5.4 μg/day) of the Provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) as proposed by the FAO/WHO, and the tHg intake was 13.2% (1.9 μg/day) of the PTDI as proposed by the FAO/WHO. It was therefore concluded that tAs, iAs and tHg intake from food provided by the SMP do not pose risks to student health.

Determination and assessment of total mercury levels in local, frozen and canned fish in Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Obeid, Pierre J; El-Khoury, Bilal; Burger, Joanne; Aouad, Samer; Younis, Mira; Aoun, Amal; El-Nakat, John Hanna

2011-01-01

Fish is an important constituent of the Lebanese diet. However, very little attention in our area is given to bring awareness regarding the effect of the toxicity of mercury (Hg) mainly through fish consumption. This study aimed to report analytical data on total mercury levels in several fish species for the first time in thirty years and to also made individuals aware of the presence and danger from exposure to mercury through fish consumption. Fish samples were selected from local Lebanese markets and fisheries and included 94 samples of which were fresh, frozen, processed, and canned fish. All values were reported as microgram of mercury per gram of fish based on wet weight. The level of mercury ranged from 0.0190 to 0.5700 microg/g in fresh samples, 0.0059 to 0.0665 microg/g in frozen samples, and 0.0305 to 0.1190 microg/g in canned samples. The data clearly showed that higher levels of mercury were detected in local fresh fish as opposed to other types thus placing consumers at higher risk from mercury exposure. Moreover, the data revealed that Mallifa (yellowstripe barracuda/Sphyraena chrysotaenia), Sargous (white seabream/Diplodus sargus), Ghobbos (bogue/Boops boops), and shrimp (Penaeus sp.) were among the types containing the highest amounts of mercury. On the other hand, processed fish such as fish fillet, fish burger, small shrimp and crab are found to contain lower levels of mercury and are associated with lower exposure risks to mercury. Lebanese population should therefore, be aware to consume limited amounts of fresh local fish to minimize exposure to mercury.

Nonflame atomic absorption determination of total mercury in natural waters using an HS-3 mercury-hydride system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Evdokimova, E.V.; Solov`eva, M.Kh.; Telegin, G.F. [Institute of Problems in the Technology of Microelectronics and High-Purity Materials, Moscow (Russian Federation)

1995-02-01

A method for nonflame atomic absorption determination of mercury with a detection limit of 1 x 10{sup -3} {mu}g/ml in natural waters without preconcentration is described. The method can be applied successfully in analysis of the environment.

Sampling problems and the determination of mercury in surface water, seawater, and air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, H.A.; van der Sloot, H.A.

1976-01-01

Analysis of surface water for mercury comprises the determination of both ionic and organically bound mercury in solution and that of the total mercury content of the suspended matter. Eventually, metallic mercury has to be determined too. Requirements for the sampling procedure are given. A method for the routine determination of mercury in surface water and seawater was developed and applied to Dutch surface waters. The total sample volume is 2500 ml. About 500 ml is used for the determination of the content of suspended matter and the total amount of mercury in the water. The sample is filtered through a bed of previously purified active charcoal at a low flow-rate. The main portion ca. 2000 ml) passes a flow-through centrifuge to separate the solid fraction. One liter is used to separate ''inorganic'' mercury by reduction, volatilization in an airstream and adsorption on active charcoal. The other liter is led through a column of active charcoal to collect all mercury. The procedures were checked with 197 Hg radiotracer both as an ion and incorporated in organic compounds. The mercury is determined by thermal neutron activation, followed by volatilization in a tube furnace and adsorption on a fresh carbon bed. The limit of determination is approximately equal to 1 ng 1 -1 . The rate of desorption from and adsorption on suspended material has been measured as a function of a pH of the solution for Hg +2 and various other ions. It can be concluded that only the procedure mentioned above does not disturb the equilibrium. The separation of mercury from air is obtained by suction of 1 m 3 through a 0.22 μm filter and a charcoal bed. The determination is then performed as in the case of the water samples

Total mercury of selected fish species from Laguna de Bay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Relon, Milagros Lontoc

1996-01-01

Dalag Ophicephalus striatus Block, kanduli Arius thalassinus Ruppell, bia Amblygobius phalaena Cuvier et Valenciennes and tilapia Tilapia nilotica Linnnaeus collected from Laguna de Bay between Taguig and Binangonan area in August 1989 to July 1990 were analyzed for total mercury by atomic absorption spectrometry. The highest metal concentration in soft muscle tissue was observed in Dalag followed by kanduli, less in bia and least in tilapia with mean values of 0.021, 0.020, 0.013, and 0.008 ug/g, respectively. Analysis using two-way ANOVA showed a significant difference in the mean total mercury in ug/g in the difference fish samples, among the different months and the interaction between these two variables. Mean total mercury of the four fish samples were significantly higher in April than in October. The results show that the levels of total mercury in the fish samples are below the World Health Organization maximum tolerable consumption of mercury in food of 300 ug or 0.03 mg of total mercury per week. (author)

Open focused microwave-assisted sample preparation for rapid total and mercury species determination in environmental solid samples

OpenAIRE

Tseng, C. M.; Garraud, H.; Amouroux, D.; Donard, O. F. X.; de Diego, A.

1998-01-01

This paper describes rapid, simple microwave-assisted leaching/ digestion procedures for total and mercury species determination in sediment samples and biomaterials. An open focused microwave system allowed the sample preparation time to be dramatically reduced to only 24 min when a power of 40-80 W was applied. Quantitative leaching of methylmercury from sediments by HNO3 solution and complete dissolution of biomaterials by an alkaline solution, such as 25% TMAH solution, were obtained. Met...

Simultaneous determination of mercury and organic carbon using a direct mercury analyzer: Mercury profiles in sediment cores from oxbow lakes in the Mississippi Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Sediment cores from seasonal wetland and open water areas from six oxbow lakes in the Mississippi River alluvial flood plain were analyzed for total-mercury (Hg) using a direct mercury analyzer (DMA). In the process we evaluated the feasibility of simultaneously determining organic matter content by...

Mercury in foods from the first French total diet study on infants and toddlers.

Science.gov (United States)

Guérin, Thierry; Chekri, Rachida; Chafey, Claude; Testu, Christian; Hulin, Marion; Noël, Laurent

2018-01-15

A very sensitive method using a direct mercury analyser was developed and validated according to the accuracy profile procedure to determine mercury levels in foods mainly consumed by infants and toddlers. Total mercury was not detected (LOD of 0.30µg.kg -1 fresh weight) in 92.4% of the 291 food samples analysed or at relatively low concentrations, lesser than or equal to LB/UB 0.5/1.0µg.kg -1 in all samples, except in fish samples (mean LB/UB 25µg.kg -1 with a maximum of 53µg.kg -1 ). Levels of total mercury in these foods were in all cases within permitted Regulatory limits of 500 or 1000µg.kg -1 in fishery products and muscle meat of fish. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The interaction rainfall vs. weight as determinant of total mercury concentration in fish from a tropical estuary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barletta, M.; Lucena, L.R.R.; Costa, M.F.; Barbosa-Cintra, S.C.T.; Cysneiros, F.J.A.

2012-01-01

Mercury loads in tropical estuaries are largely controlled by the rainfall regime that may cause biodilution due to increased amounts of organic matter (both live and non-living) in the system. Top predators, as Trichiurus lepturus, reflect the changing mercury bioavailability situations in their muscle tissues. In this work two variables [fish weight (g) and monthly total rainfall (mm)] are presented as being important predictors of total mercury concentration (T-Hg) in fish muscle. These important explanatory variables were identified by a Weibull Regression model, which best fit the dataset. A predictive model using readily available variables as rainfall is important, and can be applied for human and ecological health assessments and decisions. The main contribution will be to further protect vulnerable groups as pregnant women and children. Nature conservation directives could also improve by considering monitoring sample designs that include this hypothesis, helping to establish complete and detailed mercury contamination scenarios. - Highlights: ► Questions previous statistical approaches that used heterocedastic data after transformation. ► Corroborates other works that pointed seasonal variations of the mercury burden in fish muscle. ► Defines rainfall as a major driver of mercury in predatory fish at tropical latitudes. ► Progresses in environmental data analysis and steps forward from previous approaches to Hg in fish. ► Proposes a model to predict scenarios of Hg in fish as a function of biological and environmental variables. - The Weibull Regression model was the most appropriate fit for T-Hg in fish and therefore more ecological insights emerged from previous data.

DETERMINATION OF TOTAL MERCURY IN FISH TISSUES USING PYROLYSIS ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY WITH GOLD AMALGAMATION

Science.gov (United States)

A simple and rapid procedure for measuring total mercury in fish tissues is evaluated and compared with conventional techniques. Using an automated instrument incorporating combustion, preconcentration by amalgamation with gold, and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), mill...

Determination of total mercury and methylmercury in human head hair by radiochemical methods of analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasconcellos, M.B.A.; Saiki, M.; Paletti, G.; Pinheiro, R.M.M.; Baruzzi, R.G.; Spindel, R.

1992-01-01

Efforts were carried out in order to detect population groups in Brazil that could be at risk with respect to mercury contamination, mainly by ingestion of contaminated fish. Two regions were identified. The first was near Billings Dam which is located in one of the most heavily industrialized parts of the country. It is suspected that the water is polluted by chlor-alkali and other industrial pollutants. People living near this dam frequently consume fish caught around or near the dam. The second region is Xingu Park, located in the Amazonic region where several Indian tribes live and where the gold exploration activities have caused much concern due to the use of mercury in the ore processing. Tons of mercury are thrown in the rivers of the region annually. Both of these groups and a control group were used in this study. It was concluded that the population near Billings Dam had normal levels of mercury. However, the Indians from Xingu Park had very high levels of mercury in their Hair. It was determined that this group deserved further study. 7 refs, 2 tabs

A new vapor generation system for mercury species based on the UV irradiation of mercaptoethanol used in the determination of total and methyl mercury in environmental and biological samples by atomic fluorescence spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yin, Yanmin; Qiu, Jianhua; Yang, Limin [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Department of Chemistry and the MOE Key Laboratory of Analytical Sciences, Xiamen (China); Wang, Qiuquan [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Department of Chemistry and the MOE Key Laboratory of Analytical Sciences, Xiamen (China); Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen (China)

2007-06-15

A new vapor generation system for mercury (Hg) species based on the irradiation of mercaptoethanol (ME) with UV was developed to provide an effective sample introduction unit for atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). Preliminary investigations of the mechanism of this novel vapor generation system were based on GC-MS and FT-IR studies. Under optimum conditions, the limits of determination for inorganic divalence mercury and methyl mercury were 60 and 50 pg mL{sup -1}, respectively. Certified reference materials (BCR 463 tuna fish and BCR 580 estuarine sediment) were used to validate this new method, and the results agreed well with certified values. This new system provides an attractive alternative method of chemical vapor generation (CVG) of mercury species compared to other developed CVG systems (for example, the traditional KBH{sub 4}/NaOH-acid system). To our knowledge, this is the first systematic report on UV/ME-based Hg species vapor generation and the determination of total and methyl Hg in environmental and biological samples using UV/ME-AFS. (orig.)

Organic and total mercury determination in sediments by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry: methodology validation and uncertainty measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robson L. Franklin

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present study was to validate a method for organic Hg determination in sediment. The procedure for organic Hg was adapted from literature, where the organomercurial compounds were extracted with dichloromethane in acid medium and subsequent destruction of organic compounds by bromine chloride. Total Hg was performed according to 3051A USEPA methodology. Mercury quantification for both methodologies was then performed by CVAAS. Methodology validation was verified by analyzing certified reference materials for total Hg and methylmercury. The uncertainties for both methodologies were calculated. The quantification limit of 3.3 µg kg-1 was found for organic Hg by CVAAS.

Determination of mercury in plant material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pickard, J A; Martin, J T

1960-07-01

An analytical procedure used for the determination of traces of mercury in plant material is described. The conditions of combustion of organic matter are controlled to avoid loss of mercury and EDTA is used to reduce the values for apparent mercury on uncontaminated samples. Satisfactory recoveries of mercury added to apples, tomatoes and coffee are obtained. 10 references, 1 table.

Determination of total mercury in fillets of sport fishes collected from Folsom and New Melones Reservoirs, California, 2004

Science.gov (United States)

May, Thomas W.; Brumbaugh, William G.

2007-01-01

This report presents the results of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, done in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, to determine mercury concentrations in selected sport fishes from Folsom and New Melones Reservoirs in California. Fillets were collected from each fish sample, and after homogenization and lyophilization of fish fillets, mercury concentrations were determined with a direct mercury analyzer utilizing the process of thermal combustion-gold amalgamation atomic absorption spectroscopy. Mercury concentrations in fish fillets from Folsom Reservoir ranged from 0.09 to 1.16 micrograms per gram wet weight, and from New Melones Reservoir ranged from 0.03 to 0.94 microgram per gram wet weight. Most of the fish fillets from Folsom Reservoir (87 percent) and 27 percent of the fillets from New Melones Reservoir exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's fish consumption advisory of 0.30 microgram per gram wet weight.

Determination of mercury and selenium in hair samples of Brazilian Indian populations living in the Amazonic region by NAA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasconcellos, M.B.A.; Paletti, G.; Catharino, M.G.M.; Saiki, M.; Favaro, D.I.T.; Bode, P.; Ammerlaan, A.K.; Byrne, A.R.; Baruzzi, R.; Rodrigues, D.A.

2000-01-01

Biomonitoring of mercury contamination of Brazilian Indian population groups living in the Xingu Park, a reservation situated in the Amazonic region, has revealed very high levels of mercury in hair samples as compared to controls. Total mercury was determined by INAA in most of the tribes living in the Park and methylmercury was determined by CVAAS in samples with total mercury above 10 mg/kg. Due to the fact that selenium seems to protect animals against the toxic effects of methylmercury, it was considered also of interest to determine its concentrations in the hair samples with very high mercury levels. Selenium was determined by INAA via the short-lived radionuclide 77m Se (T 1/2 = 17.45 s). The correlations between selenium and mercury concentrations in Brazilian controls and in the Indian population groups are discussed. (author)

Efficiency of solvent extraction methods for the determination of methyl mercury in forest soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qian, J. [Department of Forest Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeaa (Sweden); Dept. of Analytical Chemistry, Umeaa Univ. (Sweden); Skyllberg, U. [Department of Forest Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeaa (Sweden); Tu, Q.; Frech, W. [Dept. of Analytical Chemistry, Umeaa Univ. (Sweden); Bleam, W.F. [Dept. of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

2000-07-01

Methyl mercury was determined by gas chromatography, microwave induced plasma, atomic emission spectrometry (GC-MIP-AES) using two different methods. One was based on extraction of mercury species into toluene, pre-concentration by evaporation and butylation of methyl mercury with a Grignard reagent followed by determination. With the other, methyl mercury was extracted into dichloromethane and back extracted into water followed by in situ ethylation, collection of ethylated mercury species on Tenax and determination. The accuracy of the entire procedure based on butylation was validated for the individual steps involved in the method. Methyl mercury added to various types of soil samples showed an overall average recovery of 87.5%. Reduced recovery was only caused by losses of methyl mercury during extraction into toluene and during pre-concentration by evaporation. The extraction of methyl mercury added to the soil was therefore quantitative. Since it is not possible to directly determine the extraction efficiency of incipient methyl mercury, the extraction efficiency of total mercury with an acidified solution containing CuSO{sub 4} and KBr was compared with high-pressure microwave acid digestion. The solvent extraction efficiency was 93%. For the IAEA 356 sediment certified reference material, mercury was less efficiently extracted and determined methyl mercury concentrations were below the certified value. Incomplete extraction could be explained by the presence of a large part of inorganic sulfides, as determined by x-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy (XANES). Analyses of sediment reference material CRM 580 gave results in agreement with the certified value. The butylation method gave a detection limit for methyl mercury of 0.1 ng g{sup -1}, calculated as three times the standard deviation for repeated analysis of soil samples. Lower values were obtained with the ethylation method. The precision, expressed as RSD for concentrations 20 times

Total arsenic, mercury, lead, and cadmium contents in edible dried seaweed in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Y O; Park, S G; Park, G Y; Choi, S M; Kim, M Y

2010-01-01

Total arsenic, mercury, lead, and cadmium contents were determined in 426 samples of seaweed sold in Korea in 2007-08. The average concentrations, expressed in mg kg(-1), dry weight, were: total arsenic 17.4 (less than the limit of detection [LOD] to 88.8), Hg 0.01 (from 0.001 to 0.050), lead 0.7 (less than the LOD to 2.7), and cadmium 0.50 (less than the LOD to 2.9). There were differences in mercury, cadmium, and arsenic content in seaweed between different kinds of products and between coastal areas. The intakes of total mercury, lead, and cadmium for Korean people from seaweed were estimated to be 0.11, 0.65, and 0.45 µg kg(-1) body weight week(-1), respectively. With respect to food safety, consumption of 8.5 g day(-1) of the samples analysed could represent up to 0.2-6.7% of the respective provisional tolerable weekly intakes established by the World Health Organization (WHO). Therefore, even if Korean people have a high consumption of seaweed, this study confirms the low probability of health risks from these metals via seaweed consumption.

Total mercury concentration in common fish species of Lake Victoria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Total mercury (THg) concentration was analysed in muscles of common fish species of Lake Victoria in the eastern and southern parts of the lake using cold vapour Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometric technique. Mercury concentration in all fish species was generally lower than the WHO maximum allowable ...

Total mercury distribution in different tissues of six species of freshwater fish from the Kpong hydroelectric reservoir in Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Atta, Alhassan; Voegborlo, Ray Bright; Agorku, Eric Selorm

2012-05-01

Total mercury concentrations were determined in seven tissues of 38 fish samples comprising six species from the Kpong hydroelectric reservoir in Ghana by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry technique using an automatic mercury analyzer. Mercury concentration in all the tissues ranged from 0.005 to 0.022 μg/g wet weight. In general, the concentration of mercury in all the tissues were decreasing in the order; liver > muscle > intestine > stomach > gonad > gill > swim bladder. Mercury concentration was generally greater in the tissues of high-trophic-level fish such as Clarotes laticeps, Mormyrops anguilloides and Chrysichthys aurutus whereas low-trophic-level fish such as Oreochromis niloticus recorded low mercury concentration in their tissues. The results obtained for total mercury concentration in the muscle tissues analysed in this study are below the WHO/FAO threshold limit of 0.5 μg/g. This suggests that the exposure of the general public to Hg through fish consumption can be considered negligible.

Total dietary intake of mercury in the Canary Islands, Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubio, C; Gutiérrez, A; Burgos, A; Hardisson, A

2008-08-01

Estimating the risk associated with dietary intake of heavy metals by consumers is a vital and integral part of regulatory processes. The assessment of exposure to mercury shown in this paper has been performed by means of a study on the whole diet. Total mercury (Hg) levels were determined by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) in 420 samples of regularly consumed food and drink. The total Hg concentrations measured in the different groups of food ranged from non-detectable to 119 microg kg(-1) w/w. The fish group had the highest concentrations of total Hg. All groups of food with regulated Hg content showed levels that were lower than the legally set values. The food consumption data used in the analysis were taken from the latest nutritional survey made in the Canary Islands, Spain. The estimated total Hg intake of local population (5.7 microg/person day(-1)) did not exceed the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) limit of 0.3 mg week(-1) of total mercury (43 microg/person day(-1)) fixed by the Joint Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives. Fishery products contributed 96% of the total Hg intake. The mean Hg intake for each island in this archipelago, formed by seven, has also been calculated. Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and El Hierro are the islands with the highest level of Hg intake (7.0, 7,0 and 6.1 microg/person day(-1), respectively). La Palma Island, due to its low fish consumption, had the lowest level of Hg intake (4.5 microg/person day(-1)), followed by La Gomera (5.4 microg/person day(-1)), Tenerife (5.5 microg/person day(-1)) and Gran Canaria (5.6 microg/person day(-1)). A comparison has been made of the results obtained in this study with those found for other national and international communities.

Streamwater fluxes of total mercury and methylmercury into and out of Lake Champlain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shanley, James B.; Chalmers, Ann T.

2012-01-01

From 2000 to 2004, we sampled for total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in inlet streams to Lake Champlain, targeting high flow periods to capture increases in THg and MeHg concentrations with increasing flow. We used these data to model stream THg and MeHg fluxes for Water Years 2001 through 2009. In this mountainous forested basin with a high watershed-to-lake area ratio of 18, fluvial export from the terrestrial watershed was the dominant source of Hg to the lake. Unfiltered THg and MeHg fluxes were dominated by the particulate fraction; about 40% of stream THg was in the filtered ( −2 yr −1 , or about 13% of atmospheric Hg wet and dry deposition to the basin. THg export from the lake represented only about 3% of atmospheric Hg input to the basin. - Highlights: ► We monitored total mercury and methylmercury in major tributaries to Lake Champlain. ► Mercury and methylmercury export was primarily as particulates during high flow. ► Only 13% of atmospheric total mercury input reached the lake via streams. ► Only 3% of atmospheric total mercury input reached the lake outlet. - Eighty-seven percent of total mercury deposition to the Lake Champlain basin is retained in the terrestrial basin; stream export of total and methylmercury to the lake is primarily in the particulate phase.

Description and advantages of the new and dry total mercury CEM HM 14000 trust

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kasajanow, J.

2002-07-01

A series of 24 overheads/slides outline the presentation giving details of the design and operation of the continuous emission monitor - the Total Mercury CEM HM 1400TR produced by the Durag Group. The monitor is suitable for measuring mercury emitted from power plants. The principle components of the monitor, the thermocatalytic reactor, and the dual beam UV detector are described, along with the calibration. Also the Portable Total Mercury CEM and the Total Mercury CEM 1500 for liquids are pictured. The presentation was made by Verewa, part of the Durag Group.

Potential Impact of Rainfall on the Air-Surface Exchange of Total Gaseous Mercury from Two Common Urban Ground Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

The impact of rainfall on total gaseous mercury (TGM) flux from pavement and street dirt surfaces was investigated in an effort to determine the influence of wet weather events on mercury transport in urban watersheds. Street dirt and pavement are common urban ground surfaces tha...

Rapid food decomposition by H2O2-H2SO4 for determination of total mercury by flow injection cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Zenebon, Odair; Sakuma, Alice M; Dovidauskas, Sergio; Okada, Isaura A; de, MaioFrancaD; Lichtig, Jaim

2002-01-01

A mixture of 50% H2O2-H2SO4 (3 + 1, v/v) was used for decomposition of food in open vessels at 80 degrees C. The treatment allowed rapid total mercury determination by flow injection cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. Cabbage, potatoes, peanuts paste, hazelnuts paste, oats, tomatoes and their derivatives, oysters, shrimps, prawns, shellfish, marine algae, and many kinds of fish were analyzed by the proposed methodology with a limit of quantitation of 0.86 +/- 0.08 microg/L mercury in the final solution. Reference materials tested also gave excellent recovery.

Tracing mercury pathways in Augusta Bay (southern Italy) by total concentration and isotope determination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonsignore, M.; Tamburrino, S.; Oliveri, E.; Marchetti, A.; Durante, C.; Berni, A.; Quinci, E.; Sprovieri, M.

2015-01-01

The mercury (Hg) pollution of sediments is the main carrier of Hg for the biota and, subsequently, for the local fish consumers in Augusta Bay area (SE Sicily, Italy), a coastal marine system affected by relevant sewage from an important chlor-alkali factory. This relationship was revealed by the determination of Mass Dependent (MDF) and Mass Independent Fractionation (MIF) of Hg isotopes in sediment, fish and human hair samples. Sediments showed MDF but no MIF, while fish showed MIF, possibly due to photochemical reduction in the water column and depending on the feeding habitat of the species. Benthic and demersal fish exhibited MDF similar to that of sediments in which anthropogenic Hg was deposited, while pelagic organisms evidenced higher MDF and MIF due to photoreduction. Human hair showed high values of δ 202 Hg (offset of +2.2‰ with respect to the consumed fish) and Δ 199 Hg, both associated to fish consumption. - Highlights: • We report the Hg isotope ratios of sediments, fish and human hair in Augusta Bay. • Hg isotopes show mercury transfers from sediments to benthic and demersal fish. • MIF in fish appears to be driven by effect of photoreduction. • MIF in human hair is inherited by fish consumption. - The mercury (Hg) isotope composition of sediments, fish muscles and human hair has been investigated from the highly polluted Augusta Bay (SE Sicily, Italy)

Total mercury levels in commercial fish species from Italian fishery and aquaculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Lena, Gabriella; Casini, Irene; Caproni, Roberto; Fusari, Andrea; Orban, Elena

2017-06-01

Total mercury levels were measured in 42 commercial fish species caught off the Central Adriatic and Tyrrhenian coasts of Italy and in 6 aquaculture species. The study on wild fish covered species differing in living habitat and trophic level. The study on farmed fish covered marine and freshwater species from intensive and extensive aquaculture and their feed. Mercury levels were analysed by thermal decomposition-amalgamation-atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Total mercury concentrations in the muscle of wild fish showed a high variability among species (0.025-2.20 mg kg -1 wet weight). The lowest levels were detected in low trophic-level demersal and pelagic-neritic fish and in young individuals of high trophic-level species. Levels exceeding the European Commission limits were found in large-size specimens of high trophic-level pelagic and demersal species. Fish from intensive farming showed low levels of total mercury (0.008-0.251 mg kg -1 ). Fish from extensive rearing showed variable contamination levels, depending on the area of provenience. An estimation of the human intake of mercury associated to the consumption of the studied fish and its comparison with the tolerable weekly intake is provided.

Real-time analysis of total, elemental, and total speciated mercury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlager, R.J.; Wilson, K.G.; Sappey, A.D.

1995-01-01

ADA Technologies, Inc., is developing a continuous emissions monitoring system that measures the concentrations of mercury in flue gas. Mercury is emitted as an air pollutant from a number of industrial processes. The largest contributors of these emissions are coal and oil combustion, municipal waste combustion, medical waste combustion, and the thermal treatment of hazardous materials. It is difficult, time consuming, and expensive to measure mercury emissions using current testing methods. Part of the difficulty lies in the fact that mercury is emitted from sources in several different forms, such as elemental mercury and mercuric chloride. The ADA analyzer measures these emissions in real time, thus providing a number of advantages over existing test methods: (1) it will provide a real-time measure of emission rates, (2) it will assure facility operators, regulators, and the public that emissions control systems are working at peak efficiency, and (3) it will provide information as to the nature of the emitted mercury (elemental mercury or speciated compounds). This update presents an overview of the CEM and describes features of key components of the monitoring system--the mercury detector, a mercury species converter, and the analyzer calibration system

Real-time analysis of total, elemental, and total speciated mercury

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schlager, R.J.; Wilson, K.G.; Sappey, A.D. [ADA Technologies, Inc., Englewood, CO (United States)

1995-11-01

ADA Technologies, Inc., is developing a continuous emissions monitoring system that measures the concentrations of mercury in flue gas. Mercury is emitted as an air pollutant from a number of industrial processes. The largest contributors of these emissions are coal and oil combustion, municipal waste combustion, medical waste combustion, and the thermal treatment of hazardous materials. It is difficult, time consuming, and expensive to measure mercury emissions using current testing methods. Part of the difficulty lies in the fact that mercury is emitted from sources in several different forms, such as elemental mercury and mercuric chloride. The ADA analyzer measures these emissions in real time, thus providing a number of advantages over existing test methods: (1) it will provide a real-time measure of emission rates, (2) it will assure facility operators, regulators, and the public that emissions control systems are working at peak efficiency, and (3) it will provide information as to the nature of the emitted mercury (elemental mercury or speciated compounds). This update presents an overview of the CEM and describes features of key components of the monitoring system--the mercury detector, a mercury species converter, and the analyzer calibration system.

Estimation of uncertainty of a reference material for proficiency testing for the determination of total mercury in fish in natura; Estimativa da incerteza de um material de referencia para ensaios de proficiencia para a determinacao de mercurio total em pescado in natura

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santana, L.V.; Sarkis, J.E.S.; Ulrich, J.C.; Hortellani, M.A., E-mail: santana-luciana@ig.com.br, E-mail: jesarkis@ipen.br, E-mail: jculrich@ipen.br, E-mail: mahortel@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2013-07-01

This study presents the uncertainty estimate for characterization, study of homogeneity and stability study obtained in the preparation of a reference material for the determination of total mercury in fish fresh muscle tissue for proficiency testing. The test results for stability were obtained by linear regression and to homogeneity study was obtained by ANOVA-one way showed that the material is homogeneous and stable. The value of total mercury concentration with expanded uncertainty for the material was 0,294 ± 0,089 μg g{sup -}. (author)

Distribution of Total and Organic Mercury in Superficial Soils in the Upper Manzanares River Watershed, Sucre State, Venezuela

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yahsé Rojas Challa

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Total and organic mercury contents were determined from samples of surface soils (0-5 cm, sieved at ≤ 63µm, collected from 10 different locations in the upper Manzanares River watershed, using cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy. Methylmercury was determined using a HPLC-UV detector. The mean total mercury concentration was 1.3 μg.g-1, a value permitted by the Canadian environment quality guidelines for farming soils, but high for European standards. Using certified reference materials, we verified that a modification of the method described by Qian et al. (2000 was effective for organic mercury extraction, with a recovery of 92.17% for DORM-2 and 92.11% for TORT-2. This modified method was applied to soil samples, obtaining concentrations of 0.5-1.0 μg.g-1 of organic mercury. The parameters for determining methylmercury using HPLC-UV were optimized; the best results were obtained with a 4.6 mm x 25 cm Zorbax CN column, with a mobile phase of 70/30 V/V of methanol: ammonium acetate 0.05 mol.l-1, with a flow rate of 0.5 ml.min-1; the methylmercury was detected at 4.99 min retention time. Methylmercury was not found in the soil samples. Using the certified reference material we proved that the method used produced reliable results. The analysis confirmed the existence of mercury in this farming area.

Mercury in Canadian crude oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollebone, B.P.

2005-01-01

Estimates for average mercury concentrations in crude oil range widely from 10 ng/g of oil to 3,500 ng/g of oil. With such a broad range of estimates, it is difficult to determine the contributions of the petroleum sector to the total budget of mercury emissions. In response to concerns that the combustion of petroleum products may be a major source of air-borne mercury pollution, Environment Canada and the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute has undertaken a survey of the average total mercury concentration in crude oil processed in Canadian refineries. In order to calculate the potential upper limit of total mercury in all refined products, samples of more than 30 different types of crude oil collected from refineries were measured for their concentration of mercury as it enters into a refinery before processing. High temperature combustion, cold vapour atomic absorption and cold vapour atomic fluorescence were the techniques used to quantify mercury in the samples. The results of the study provide information on the total mass of mercury present in crude oil processed in Canada each year. Results can be used to determine the impact of vehicle exhaust emissions to the overall Canadian mercury emission budget. 17 refs., 2 tabs., 2 figs

Determination of mercury in dentists through Neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Padilla M, M.A.; Granados C, F.

1999-01-01

It was determined the mercury levels in urine through Neutron activation analysis to 25 dentists who have been exposed to mercury by several time periods, because of the routine manipulations of amalgams. The determined concentrations of mercury were less to 10 μ g Hg/l of urine. The results were founded inside the safety limits reported in the literature. The mercury levels in the dentists are associated with a wide variety of factors that contribute to their exposure as: number of years of dental practice, number of amalgams manipulated between others. (Author)

Determination of mercury in food by neutron activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anand, S.J.S.

1976-01-01

Determination of mercury in food samples has been carried out by neutron activation followed by chemical separation to remove the interfering activities of copper, zinc etc. Chemical separation was carried out using anion exchange resin (DOWEX 1x8). Mercury was determined by counting 77 keV γ-rays of 197 Hg on a NaI(Tl) crystal in conjunction with a 400-channel pulse-height analyser. Levels of mercury in the following foods are tabulated: rice, wheat, pulses, millets, leafy vegetables, flower, carrot, potato, tomato, onion, chilli powder, sugar, tea leaves, milk. (T.I.)

Determination of mercury in food by neutron activation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anand, S J.S. [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay (India). Air Monitoring Section

1976-01-01

Determination of mercury in food samples has been carried out by neutron activation followed by chemical separation to remove the interfering activities of copper, zinc etc. Chemical separation was carried out using anion exchange resin (DOWEX 1x8). Mercury was determined by counting 77 keV ..gamma..-rays of /sup 197/Hg on a NaI(Tl) crystal in conjunction with a 400-channel pulse-height analyser. Levels of mercury in the following foods are tabulated: rice, wheat, pulses, millets, leafy vegetables, flower, carrot, potato, tomato, onion, chilli powder, sugar, tea leaves, milk.

Total mercury levels in hair, toenail, and urine among women free from occupational exposure and their relations to renal tubular function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohno, Tomoko; Sakamoto, Mineshi; Kurosawa, Tomoko; Dakeishi, Miwako; Iwata, Toyoto; Murata, Katsuyuki

2007-01-01

To investigate the relations among total mercury levels in hair, toenail, and urine, together with potential effects of methylmercury intake on renal tubular function, we determined their levels, and urinary N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase activity (NAG) and α 1 -microglobulin (AMG) in 59 women free from occupational exposures, and estimated daily mercury intakes from fish and other seafood using a food frequency questionnaire. Mercury levels (mean+/-SD) in the women were 1.51+/-0.91μg/g in hair, 0.59+/-0.32μg/g in toenail, and 0.86+/-0.66μg/g creatinine in urine; and, there were positive correlations among them (P<0.001). The daily mercury intake of 9.15+/-7.84μg/day was significantly correlated with total mercury levels in hair, toenail, and urine (r=0.551, 0.537, and 0.604, P<0.001). Among the women, the NAG and AMG were positively correlated with both the daily mercury intake and mercury levels in hair, toenail, and urine (P<0.01); and, these relations were almost similar when using multiple regression analysis to adjust for possible confounders such as urinary cadmium (0.47+/-0.28μg/g creatinine) and smoking status. In conclusion, mercury resulting from fish consumption can explain total mercury levels in hair, toenail, and urine to some degree (about 30%), partly through the degradation into the inorganic form, and it may confound the renal tubular effect of other nephrotoxic agents. Also, the following equation may be applicable to the population neither with dental amalgam fillings nor with occupational exposures: [hair mercury (μg/g)]=2.44x[toenail mercury (μg/g)

Factors influencing concentrations of dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) and total mercury (TM) in an artificial reservoir

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Myung-Chan; Kim, Bomchul; Holsen, Thomas M.; Yi, Seung-Muk; Han, Young-Ji

2010-01-01

The effects of various factors including turbidity, pH, DOC, temperature, and solar radiation on the concentrations of total mercury (TM) and dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) were investigated in an artificial reservoir in Korea. Episodic total mercury accumulation events occurred during the rainy season as turbidity increased, indicating that the TM concentration was not controlled by direct atmospheric deposition. The DGM concentration in surface water ranged from 3.6 to 160 pg/L, having a maximum in summer and minimum in winter. While in most previous studies DGM was controlled primarily by a photo-reduction process, DGM concentrations tracked the amount of solar radiation only in winter when the water temperature was fairly low in this study. During the other seasons microbial transformation seemed to play an important role in reducing Hg(II) to Hg(0). DGM increased as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration increased (p-value < 0.01) while it increased with a decrease of pH (p-value < 0.01). - Long-term in-situ monitoring of TM and DGM concentrations with various factors was executed in a large artificial reservoir in this study.

Mercury determination in natural waters using neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cagnone, M.; Marques, R.O.

1994-01-01

Available as short communication only. An analytical method for quantitative determination of Mercury traces in river and sea water is proposed. The neutron activation method and radiochemical separation of Mercury by developing of C L 4 Hg -2 complex, and their chromatographic separation using anionic exchange resin Dowex 1 X 8 of 400 mesh is used. The quantitative determination is done by gamma spectrometric analysis. The selection limits reached with this method showed that this is an amenable procedure in routine mercury determination in the ppb level, specially useful in the environmental contamination analysis. (author). 3 refs, 2 figs, 1 tab

Determination of total mercury in seafood by ion-selective electrodes based on a thiol functionalized ionic liquid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Miao

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A mercury(II ion-selective electrode with an ionic liquid (IL, 1-methyl-2-butylthioimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulphonylimide ([C1C4Sim]NTf2 as active material was constructed. Parameters affecting the performance of the electrodes such as the dosages of the IL and carbon nanotubes and the aqueous pH values were investigated. Experimental results indicated that the optimal composition of the electrode filling material was 47.6% [C1C4Sim]NTf2, 47.6% tetrabutylphosphonium bis(trifluoromethanesulphonylimide (TBPNTf2 and 4.8% carboxylic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-COOH. Under the selected conditions, the proposed electrodes showed a good linear response in the concentration range of 10−10–10−5 mol L−1 and had a detection limit of 4.1 × 10−11 mol L−1. No great interference from common metal ions was found. The proposed electrodes were applied to determine Hg2+ in seafood samples; the results were comparable to those of the direct mercury analyzer. Keywords: Ionic liquids (ILs, Mercury, Ion-selective electrodes, Carbon nanotubes, Seafood

The method of determination of mercury adsorption from flue gases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Budzyń Stanisław

2017-01-01

Full Text Available For several recent years Faculty of Energy and Fuels of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow conduct intensive studies on the occurrence of mercury contained in thermal and coking coals, as well as on the possible reduction of fossil-fuel mercury emissions. This research focuses, among others, on application of sorbents for removal of mercury from flue gases. In this paper we present the methodology for testing mercury adsorption using various types of sorbents, in laboratory conditions. Our model assumes burning a coal sample, with a specific mercury content, in a strictly determined time period and temperature conditions, oxygen or air flow rates, and the flow of flue gases through sorbent in a specific temperature. It was developed for particular projects concerning the possibilities of applying different sorbents to remove mercury from flue gases. Test stand itself is composed of a vertical pipe furnace inside which a quartz tube was mounted for sample burning purposes. At the furnace outlet, there is a heated glass vessel with a sorbent sample through which flue gases are passing. Furnace allows burning at a defined temperature. The exhaust gas flow path is heated to prevent condensation of the mercury vapor prior to contact with a sorbent. The sorbent container is positioned in the heating element, with controlled and stabilized temperature, which allows for testing mercury sorption in various temperatures. Determination of mercury content is determined before (coal and sorbent, as well as after the process (sorbent and ash. The mercury balance is calculated based on the Hg content determination results. This testing method allows to study sorbent efficiency, depending on sorption temperature, sorbent grain size, and flue-gas rates.

Method Performance of Total Mercury (Hg) Testing in the Biological Samples by Using Cold Vapour Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (CV-AAS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Susanna TS; Samin

2007-01-01

Method performance (validation) of total mercury (Hg) testing in the biological samples by using cold vapour atomic absorption spectrophotometer (CV-AAS) has been done. The objective of this research is to know the method performance of CV-AAS as one of points for the accreditation testing of laboratory according IS0/IEC 17025-2005. The method performance covering limit of detection (LOD), accuracy, precision and bias. As a standard material used SRM Oyster Tissue 15660 from Winopal Forshung Germany, whereas the biological samples were human hair. In principle of mercury testing for solid samples using CV-AAS is dissolving this sample and standard with 10 mL HNO 3 supra pure into a closed quartz tube and heating at 150 °C for 4 hours. The concentration of mercury in each samples was determined at the condition of operation were stirring time (T 1 ) 70 seconds, delay time (T 2 ) 15 seconds, heating time (T 3 ) 13 seconds and cooling time (T 4 ) of 25 seconds. Mercury ion in samples are reduced with SnCl 2 10 % in H 2 SO 4 20 %, and then the vapour of mercury from reduction is passed in NaOH 20 % solution and aquatridest. The result of method performance were: limit of detection (LOD) = 0.085 ng, accuracy 99.70 %, precision (RSD) = 1.64 % and bias = 0.30 %. From the validation result showed that the content of mercury total was in the range of certified values. The total mercury content (Hg) in human hair were varied from 406.93 - 699.07 ppb. (author)

Spatial variation of mercury bioaccumulation in bats of Canada linked to atmospheric mercury deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Chételat, John; Hickey, M Brian C; Poulain, Alexandre J; Dastoor, Ashu; Ryjkov, Andrei; McAlpine, Donald; Vanderwolf, Karen; Jung, Thomas S; Hale, Lesley; Cooke, Emma L L; Hobson, Dave; Jonasson, Kristin; Kaupas, Laura; McCarthy, Sara; McClelland, Christine; Morningstar, Derek; Norquay, Kaleigh J O; Novy, Richard; Player, Delanie; Redford, Tony; Simard, Anouk; Stamler, Samantha; Webber, Quinn M R; Yumvihoze, Emmanuel; Zanuttig, Michelle

2018-06-01

Wildlife are exposed to neurotoxic mercury at locations distant from anthropogenic emission sources because of long-range atmospheric transport of this metal. In this study, mercury bioaccumulation in insectivorous bat species (Mammalia: Chiroptera) was investigated on a broad geographic scale in Canada. Fur was analyzed (n=1178) for total mercury from 43 locations spanning 20° latitude and 77° longitude. Total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in fur were positively correlated with concentrations in internal tissues (brain, liver, kidney) for a small subset (n=21) of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), validating the use of fur to indicate internal mercury exposure. Brain methylmercury concentrations were approximately 10% of total mercury concentrations in fur. Three bat species were mainly collected (little brown bats, big brown bats, and northern long-eared bats [M. septentrionalis]), with little brown bats having lower total mercury concentrations in their fur than the other two species at sites where both species were sampled. On average, juvenile bats had lower total mercury concentrations than adults but no differences were found between males and females of a species. Combining our dataset with previously published data for eastern Canada, median total mercury concentrations in fur of little brown bats ranged from 0.88-12.78μg/g among 11 provinces and territories. Highest concentrations were found in eastern Canada where bats are most endangered from introduced disease. Model estimates of atmospheric mercury deposition indicated that eastern Canada was exposed to greater mercury deposition than central and western sites. Further, mean total mercury concentrations in fur of adult little brown bats were positively correlated with site-specific estimates of atmospheric mercury deposition. This study provides the largest geographic coverage of mercury measurements in bats to date and indicates that atmospheric

Neutron activation analysis of biological materials for sub PPM amount of mercury without determining the chemical yield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foldzinska, A.; Dybczynski, R.

1976-01-01

A simple method for the determination of sub ppm amounts of mercury in various biological materials by neutron activation analysis is described. Irradiated samples were decomposed with H 2 SO 4 - fuming HNO 3 mixture and mercury selectively isolated by ion exchange chromatography using Dowex 50X2(H + ) and Dowex 1X4(Br - ) columns in HBr medium. Finally the activity of 197 Hg fixed on an anion exchange resin was measured either with a Ge(Li) or a NaI (Tl) detector. Both the high radiochemical purity of mercury and the practically quantitative recovery were achieved thus eliminating the necessity of determining the chemical yield. The method was used for the determination of mercury in flour, milk, butter, margarine, fish, etc. Total time of analysis (including counting) amounted to 6-7 hrs and several samples could be simultaneously analysed by one technician. (T.G.)

Determination of mercury in biologycal samples by radiochemical neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suc, N.V.

1989-01-01

The radiochemical neutron activation analysis was applied to determine contents of mercury in biological samples. Samples were digested in mixing of H 2 SO 4 and HNO 3 acid. After extraction of mercury by Ni-Ditiodietylphosphoric acid in carbontetrachloride, mercury was back extracted by 5% KI solution. Contents of mercury from five samples of fish was determined by this method. The accuracy of the method was checked by comparing it with NBS standard samples and results are good agreement

Biosensors for detection of mercury in contaminated soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bontidean, Ibolya; Mortari, Alessia; Leth, Suzanne; Brown, Nigel L.; Karlson, Ulrich; Larsen, Martin M.; Vangronsveld, Jaco; Corbisier, Philippe; Csoeregi, Elisabeth

2004-01-01

Biosensors based on whole bacterial cells and on bacterial heavy metal binding protein were used to determine the mercury concentration in soil. The soil samples were collected in a vegetable garden accidentally contaminated with elemental mercury 25 years earlier. Bioavailable mercury was measured using different sensors: a protein-based biosensor, a whole bacterial cell based biosensor, and a plant sensor, i.e. morphological and biochemical responses in primary leaves and roots of bean seedlings grown in the mercury-contaminated soil. For comparison the total mercury concentration of the soil samples was determined by AAS. Whole bacterial cell and protein-based biosensors gave accurate responses proportional to the total amount of mercury in the soil samples. On the contrary, plant sensors were found to be less useful indicators of soil mercury contamination, as determined by plant biomass, mercury content of primary leaves and enzyme activities

Levels of total mercury in predatory fish sold in Canada in 2005

OpenAIRE

Dabeka, R.W.; McKenzie, A.D.; Forsyth, D.S.

2011-01-01

Total mercury was analysed in 188 samples of predatory fish purchased at the retail level in Canada in 2005. The average concentrations (ng g−1, range) were: sea bass 329 (38–1367), red snapper 148 (36–431), orange roughy 543 (279–974), fresh water trout 55 (20–430), grouper 360 (8–1060), black cod 284 (71–651), Arctic char 37 (28–54), king fish 440 (42–923), tilefish 601 (79–1164) and marlin 854 (125–2346). The Canadian standard for maximum total mercury allowed in the edible portions of fis...

determination of mercury content in milk powder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jovchev, M.; Grigorov, T.; Apostolov, D.

1985-01-01

Four samples of humanized full cream cow milk powder of Bulgarian origin for new-born, sucklings, small children and soured milk powder were activated for 18-24 h in a neutron flux of 5.10 12 , resp. 2.10 13 n/cm 2 .sec in quartz ampules. The samples were activated without preliminary lyophilization, thus avoiding possible mistakes from mercury losses. Ag-110m, being eliminated in the amalgam, was not an obstacle to the mercury determination. The results obtained for the mercury content are in the same order as in other investigations and many times lower than the admissible norm for foodstuffs - 50 ppb

[Determination of mercury in Boletus impolitus by flow injection-atomic absorption spectrometry].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Tao; Wang, Yuan-Zhong

2008-04-01

Various test conditions and effect factors for the determination of mercury by flow injection-atomic absorption spectrometry were discussed, and a method for the determination of mercury in Boletus impolitus has been developed. The linear range for mercury is 0-60 microg x L(-1). The relative standard deviation is less than 3.0%, and the recovery is 96%-107%. This method is simple, rapid and has been applied to the determination of mercury in Boletus impolitus samples with satisfactory results.

Human accumulation of mercury in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Poul; Mulvad, Gert; Pedersen, Henning Sloth

2007-01-01

In the Arctic, the traditional diet exposes its people to a high intake of mercury especially from marine mammals. To determine whether the mercury is accumulated in humans, we analyzed autopsy samples of liver, kidney and spleen from adult ethnic Greenlanders who died between 1990 and 1994 from...... a wide range of causes, natural and violent. Liver, kidney and spleen samples from between 33 and 71 case subjects were analyzed for total mercury and methylmercury, and liver samples also for selenium. Metal levels in men and women did not differ and were not related to age except in one case, i.......e. for total mercury in liver, where a significant declining concentration with age was observed. The highest total mercury levels were found in kidney followed by liver and spleen. Methylmercury followed the same pattern, but levels were much lower, constituting only 19% of the total mercury concentration...

Human accumulation of mercury in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, P.; Mulvad, G.; Pedersen, H. S.

2007-01-01

a wide range of causes, natural and violent. Liver, kidney and spleen samples from between 33 and 71 case subjects were analyzed for total mercury and methylmercury, and liver samples also for selenium. Metal levels in men and women did not differ and were not related to age except in one case, i......In the Arctic, the traditional diet exposes its people to a high intake of mercury especially from marine mammals. To determine whether the mercury is accumulated in humans, we analyzed autopsy samples of liver, kidney and spleen from adult ethnic Greenlanders who died between 1990 and 1994 from.......e. for total mercury in liver, where a significant declining concentration with age was observed. The highest total mercury levels were found in kidney followed by liver and spleen. Methylmercury followed the same pattern, but levels were much lower, constituting only 19% of the total mercury concentration...

Determination of mercury in drinking water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anand, S.J.S.

1976-01-01

Determination of mercury in drinking water samples have been carried out by neutron activation followed by chemical separation. The chemical analysis is necessary as the levels of mercury in these samples are quite low and activities of sodium, copper etc. interfere in its determination by direct spectroscopy. Solvent extraction separation offers speed and complete separation from interfering activities. Some of drinking water samples collected at Trombay have been analysed and their result are given in this paper. The procedure was checked with 197 Hg tracer and the reproducibility of the procedure is within 5%. It was free from contamination due to the activities of Cu, Na etc. The time of analysis was 15 minutes, and upto 5 samples could be analysed conveniently at a time. The average chemical yield was 72%. (T.I.)

Form of Dietary Methylmercury does not Affect Total Mercury Accumulation in the Tissues of Zebra Finch.

Science.gov (United States)

Varian-Ramos, Claire W; Whitney, Margaret; Rice, Gary W; Cristol, Daniel A

2017-07-01

Exposure to mercury in humans, other mammals, and birds is primarily dietary, with mercury in the methylated form and bound to cysteine in the tissues of prey items. Yet dosing studies are generally carried out using methylmercury chloride. Here we tested whether the accumulation of total mercury in zebra finch blood, egg, muscle, liver, kidney or brain differed depending on whether dietary mercury was complexed with chloride or cysteine. We found no effect of form of mercury on tissue accumulation. Some previous studies have found lower accumulation of mercury in tissues of animals fed complexed mercury. Much remains to be understood about what happens to ingested mercury once it enters the intestines, but our results suggest that dietary studies using methylmercury chloride in birds will produce similar tissue accumulation levels to those using methylmercury cysteine.

Total mercury in muscles and liver of Mugil spp. from three coastal lagoons of NW Mexico: concentrations and risk assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Delgado-Alvarez, C G; Frías-Espericueta, M G; Ruelas-Inzunza, J; Becerra-Álvarez, M J; Osuna-Martínez, C C; Aguilar-Juárez, M; Osuna-López, J I; Escobar-Sánchez, O; Voltolina, D

2017-07-01

Total mercury (Hg) concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in muscles and liver of composite samples of Mugil cephalus and M. curema collected during November 2013 and in January, April, and July 2014 from the coastal lagoons Altata-Ensenada del Pabellón (AEP), Ceuta (CEU), and Teacapán-Agua Brava (TAG) of Sinaloa State. The mean Hg contents and information on local consumption were used to assess the possible risk caused by fish ingestion. Mean total mercury levels in the muscles ranged from 0.11 to 0.39 μg/g, while the range for liver was 0.12-3.91 μg/g. The mean Hg content of the liver was significantly (p mercury calculated for the younger age classes of one fishing community were >1, indicating a possible risk for some fishing communities of the Mexican Pacific coast.

Determination of mercury and methylmercury in fishes of the Danube caught 1977 in Upper Austria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teherani, D.K.; Stehlik, G.; Tehrani, N.; Hinteregger, J.

1977-09-01

In 22 fishes from the Upper Austria part of the Danube mercury was determined by means of atomic absorption spectroscopy after a chemical pretreatment. 6 fishes from these also were proved in regard to their methylmercury content. About 40% of these fish smples showed Hg-concentrations of<=0,2 ppm, 50% of 0,21 - 0,5 ppm and 10% 0f 0,51 -1,03 ppm. The fraction of methylmercury in 6 fishes amounted between 6 and 72% of the total mercury content. (author)

Total mercury concentrations in lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Huge, Dane H; Schofield, Pamela J; Jacoby, Charles A; Frazer, Thomas K

2014-01-15

Strategies to control invasive lionfish in the western Atlantic and Caribbean are likely to include harvest and consumption. Until this report, total mercury concentrations had been documented only for lionfish from Jamaica, and changes in concentrations with increasing fish size had not been evaluated. In the Florida Keys, total mercury concentrations in dorsal muscle tissue from 107 lionfish ranged from 0.03 to 0.48 ppm, with all concentrations being less than the regulatory threshold for limited consumption. Mercury concentrations did not vary consistently with standard lengths or wet weights of lionfish. In 2010, lionfish from the upper Keys had mean concentrations that were 0.03-0.04 ppm higher than lionfish from the middle Keys, but mean concentrations did not differ consistently among years and locations. Overall, total mercury concentrations in lionfish were lower than those in several predatory fishes that support commercial and recreational fisheries in Florida. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Determination of methylmercury and estimation of total mercury in seafood using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS): Method development and validation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hight, Susan C. [Elemental Research Branch, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, US Food and Drug Administration, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740-3835 (United States)]. E-mail: susan.hight@fda.gov; Cheng, John [Elemental Research Branch, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, US Food and Drug Administration, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740-3835 (United States)]. E-mail: john.cheng@fda.gov

2006-05-17

A method was developed for determination of methylmercury and estimation of total mercury in seafood. Mercury (Hg) compounds were extracted from 0.5 g edible seafood or 0.2 g lyophilized reference material by adding 50 ml aqueous 1% w/v L-cysteine.HCl.H{sub 2}O and heating 120 min at 60 deg. C in glass vials. Hg compounds in 50 {mu}l of filtered extract were separated by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography using a C-18 column and aqueous 0.1% w/v L-cysteine.HCl.H{sub 2}O + 0.1% w/v L-cysteine mobile phase at room temperature and were detected by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry at mass-to-charge ratio 202. Total Hg was calculated as the mathematical sum of methyl and inorganic Hg determined in extracts. For seafoods containing 0.055-2.78 mg kg{sup -1} methylmercury and 0.014-0.137 mg kg{sup -1} inorganic Hg, precision of analyses was {<=}5% relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) for methylmercury and {<=}9% R.S.D. for inorganic Hg. Recovery of added analyte was 94% for methylmercury and 98% for inorganic Hg. Methyl and total Hg results for reference materials agreed with certified values. Limits of quantitation were 0.007 mg kg{sup -1} methylmercury and 0.005 mg kg{sup -1} inorganic Hg in edible seafood and 0.017 mg kg{sup -1} methylmercury and 0.012 mg kg{sup -1} inorganic Hg in lyophilized reference materials. Evaluation of analyte stability demonstrated that L-cysteine both stabilized and de-alkylated methylmercury, depending on holding time and cysteine concentration. Polypropylene adversely affected methylmercury stability. Total Hg results determined by this method were equivalent to results determined independently by cold vapour-atomic absorption spectrometry. Methylmercury was the predominant form of Hg in finfish. Ratios of methylmercury/total Hg determined by this method were 93-98% for finfish and 38-48% for mollusks.

Total mercury in water and sediment from Honda Bay area in Palawan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kapauan, A.F.; Kapauan, P.A.; Tan, E.O.; Verceluz, F.P.

1980-01-01

This project is intended to pinpoint the sources of mercury contamination from the Honda Bay area in Palawan. Sampling sites were pinpointed which water and sediment samples were to be taken and kept in virgin polyethylene liter bottles. Analytical procedures were applied. The results of the analysis for total mercury content vary cosiderably from ml, less than 0.003 ng/9 to high of 0.419 ng/g with a considerable number of the sample going above the 0.100 ng/g level. Sediment samples also gave similar results, from a low of 0.004 ng/g to value higher than 2 ng/g round the jetty. It can be concluded, therefore, that the area surveyed is contaminated with mercury but not severely so. (author)

Mercury Phase II Study - Mercury Behavior in Salt Processing Flowsheet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jain, V.; Shah, H.; Wilmarth, W. R.

2016-01-01

Mercury (Hg) in the Savannah River Site Liquid Waste System (LWS) originated from decades of canyon processing where it was used as a catalyst for dissolving the aluminum cladding of reactor fuel. Approximately 60 metric tons of mercury is currently present throughout the LWS. Mercury has long been a consideration in the LWS, from both hazard and processing perspectives. In February 2015, a Mercury Program Team was established at the request of the Department of Energy to develop a comprehensive action plan for long-term management and removal of mercury. Evaluation was focused in two Phases. Phase I activities assessed the Liquid Waste inventory and chemical processing behavior using a system-by-system review methodology, and determined the speciation of the different mercury forms (Hg+, Hg++, elemental Hg, organomercury, and soluble versus insoluble mercury) within the LWS. Phase II activities are building on the Phase I activities, and results of the LWS flowsheet evaluations will be summarized in three reports: Mercury Behavior in the Salt Processing Flowsheet (i.e. this report); Mercury Behavior in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Flowsheet; and Mercury behavior in the Tank Farm Flowsheet (Evaporator Operations). The evaluation of the mercury behavior in the salt processing flowsheet indicates, inter alia, the following: (1) In the assembled Salt Batches 7, 8 and 9 in Tank 21, the total mercury is mostly soluble with methylmercury (MHg) contributing over 50% of the total mercury. Based on the analyses of samples from 2H Evaporator feed and drop tanks (Tanks 38/43), the source of MHg in Salt Batches 7, 8 and 9 can be attributed to the 2H evaporator concentrate used in assembling the salt batches. The 2H Evaporator is used to evaporate DWPF recycle water. (2) Comparison of data between Tank 21/49, Salt Solution Feed Tank (SSFT), Decontaminated Salt Solution Hold Tank (DSSHT), and Tank 50 samples suggests that the total mercury as well as speciated

Total and methyl mercury, moisture, and porosity in Lake Michigan surficial sediment

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Total and methyl mercury, moisture content (%), and porosity were measured in Lake Michigan sediment by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/Office of Research...

EFFECTS OF COMMONLY USED COOKING PRACTICES ON TOTAL MERCURY CONCENTRATION IN FISH AND THEIR IMPACT ON EXPOSURE ASSESSMENTS

Science.gov (United States)

The effects of cooking practices commonly used by Native Americans on total mercury concentrations in fish were investigated. A preparation factor relating mercury concentrations in fish as prepared for consumption to mercury concentration data as measured in typical environmenta...

Total mercury in water, sediments, and animals along the Indian Coast

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Sanzgiri, S.; Mesquita, A.; Kureishy, T.W.

Total mercury (Hg) in water, sediments and animals along the coast of India is estimated. Water samples were collected on board of R.V. Gaveshani.The zooplankton samples were collected by Indian Ocean Standard Net and Heron Tranter nets of 500 mesh...

Differential Pulse Anodic Stripping Voltammetry for Mercury Determination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vereștiuc Paul C.

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In the present work voltammetric investigations have been performed on HgCl2 aqueous solutions prepared from a Cz 9024 reagent. Carbon paste electrode (CPE, eriochrome black T modified carbon paste electrode (MCPE/EBT and KCl 1M as background electrolyte, were involved within the experimental procedures. Cyclic voltammetry (CV has been performed in order to compare the behaviour of the two electrodes in both K3[Fe(CN6] and mercury calibration aqueous solution. Differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV was used to determine the most suitable parameters for mercury determination. All experiments were performed at 25 ± 1 ℃, using an electrochemical cell with three-electrodes connected to an Autolab PG STAT 302N (Metrohm-Autolab potentiostat that is equipped with Nova 1.11 software. The measured potential values were generated by using the silver chloride electrode (AgClE as reference and a platinum wire electrode as auxiliary. A series of time depending equations for the pre-concentration and concentration steps were established, with the observation that a higher sensitivity can be obtained while increasing the pre-concentration time. DPASV were drawn using the CPE in 11.16 % coriander, as mercury complex, the voltamograms signals indicating mercury oxidation, with signal intensity increasing in time.

The dynamics of mercury near Idrija mercury mine, Slovenia: Horizontal and vertical distributions of total, methyl, and ethyl mercury concentrations in soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomiyasu, Takashi; Kodamatani, Hitoshi; Imura, Ryusuke; Matsuyama, Akito; Miyamoto, Junko; Akagi, Hirokatsu; Kocman, David; Kotnik, Jože; Fajon, Vesna; Horvat, Milena

2017-10-01

The distributions of the total mercury (T-Hg), methylmercury (MeHg), and ethylmercury (EtHg) concentrations in soil and their relationship to chemical composition of the soil and total organic carbon content (TOC, %) were investigated. Core samples were collected from hill slope on the right and left riverbanks of the Idrija River. Former smelting plant is located on the right bank. The T-Hg average in each of the core samples ranged from 0.25 to 1650 mg kg -1 . The vertical T-Hg variations in the samples from the left bank showed no significant change with depth. Conversely, the T-Hg varied with depth, with the surface, or layers several centimeters from the surface, tending to show the highest values in the samples from the right bank. Since the right and left bank soils have different chemical compositions, different pathways of mercury delivery into soils were suggested. The MeHg and EtHg concentrations ranged from n.d. (not detected) to 444 μg kg -1 and n.d. to 17.4 μg kg -1 , respectively. The vertical variations of MeHg and EtHg were similar to those of TOC, except for the near-surface layers containing TOC greater than 20%. These results suggest that the decomposition of organic matter is closely related to organic mercury formation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pore Size Distribution in Chicken Eggs as Determined by Mercury Porosimetry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

La Scala Jr N

2000-01-01

Full Text Available In this study we investigated the application of mercury porosimetry technique into the determination of porosity features in 28 week old hen eggshells. Our results have shown that the majority of the pores have sizes between 1 to 10 mu m in the eggshells studied. By applying mercury porosimetry technique we were able to describe the porosity features better, by determining a pore size distribution in the eggshells. Here, we introduce mercury porosimetry technique as a new routine technique applied into the study of eggshells.

Electrochemical determination of inorganic mercury and arsenic--A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaib, Maria; Athar, Muhammad Makshoof; Saeed, Asma; Farooq, Umar

2015-12-15

Inorganic mercury and arsenic encompasses a term which includes As(III), As(V) and Hg(II) species. These metal ions have been extensively studied due to their toxicity related issues. Different analytical methods are used to monitor inorganic mercury and arsenic in a variety of samples at trace level. The present study reviews various analytical techniques available for detection of inorganic mercury and arsenic with particular emphasis on electrochemical methods especially stripping voltammetry. A detailed critical evaluation of methods, advantages of electrochemical methods over other analytical methods, and various electrode materials available for mercury and arsenic analysis is presented in this review study. Modified carbon paste electrode provides better determination due to better deposition with linear and improved response under studied set of conditions. Biological materials may be the potent and economical alternative as compared to macro-electrodes and chemically modified carbon paste electrodes in stripping analysis of inorganic mercury and arsenic. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of neutron activation analysis for mercury species determination in scalp hair samples from Malaysia, Libya and Jordan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarmani, S.B.; Alakili, I.

2004-01-01

Neutron activation analysis was used to determine the levels of total mercury and methylmercury in hair samples obtained from 400 Malaysian (Kuala Lumpur), Libyan (Benghazi) and Jordanian (Amman) donors. Results show that the level of total mercury in hair samples of the Malaysian group (3.38 mg x kg -1 ) was significantly higher than those of Libyan (0.81 mg x kg -1 ) and Jordanian groups (0.69 mg x kg -1 ). Likewise, a significant difference was found between the level of methylmercury of the Malaysian group (1.13 mg x kg -1 ) and those of the Libyan (0.04 mg x kg -1 ) and Jordanian groups (0.13 mg x kg -1 ). This difference could be attributed to the variation in life habits especially fish diet and to the local environment of each population. On the other hand, no significant differences were found between the level of total mercury and methylmercury in hair samples of the Libyan and Jordanian residents. (author)

The determination of methylmercury, total mercury and total selenium in human hair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

This Reference Method describes the determination of methylmercury in human hair by gas liquid chromatography. It is designed for biological monitoring of selected individuals and population groups with a possible intake of methylmercury exceeding the recommended Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) through contaminated seafood, as part of a project on the evaluation of methylmercury in Mediterranean populations and related health hazards. The method, however, is also applicable to other regions. The method involves direct determination of methylmercury by gas liquid chromatography. The sample is disintegrated in a solution of sodium hydroxide, methylmercury is extracted from an aliquot of the solution into toluene and, after purification, a small volume is injected into a chromatographic column, filled with polyethyleneglycol succinate on Diatomite AW. Methylmercury in the gaseous mixture is detected with an electron capture detector and its amount determined by comparing the peak height with those of appropriate standards. The next Reference Method describes the determination of selenium in human hair (and other indicative tissues) by gas liquid chromatography and is designed for biological monitoring of selected individuals and population groups in the Mediterranean region with a possible intake of methylmercury exceeding the recommended Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) through contaminated seafood. The data are intended to establish a possible correlation between methylmercury intake and levels of selenium in the subjects monitored. Selenium in the solvent phase is determined by gas liquid chromatography using an electron capture detector. The above method has been selected because selenium is determined in conjunction with methylmercury, both of which require competence in gas chromatographic techniques. Reliable result for total selenium, however, will also be obtained by the following techniques: a) Atomic absorption spectrophotometry; b

Determination of cadmium, lead and mercury residual levels in meat ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Determination of cadmium, lead and mercury residual levels in meat of canned light tuna ( Katsuwonus pelamis and Thunnus albacares ) and fresh little tunny ( Euthynnus alletteratus ) in Libya. ... Surveillance for mercury (Hg), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) contamination in tuna products is crucial for consumer food safety.

[Evaluation of the mercury accumulating capacity of pepper (Capsicum annuum)].

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Vargas, Híver M; Vidal-Durango, Jhon V; Marrugo-Negrete, José L

2014-01-01

To assess the mercury accumulating capacity in contaminated soils from the community of Mina Santa Cruz, in the south of the department of Bolívar, Colombia, of the pepper plant (Capsicum annuum), in order to establish the risk to the health of the consuming population. Samples were taken from tissues (roots, stems, and leaves) of pepper plants grown in two soils contaminated with mercury and a control soil during the first five months of growth to determine total mercury through cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. Total mercury was determined in the samples of pepper plant fruits consumed in Mina Santa Cruz. The mean concentrations of total mercury in the roots were higher than in stems and leaves. Accumulation in tissues was influenced by mercury levels in soil and the growth time of the plants. Mercury concentrations in fruits of pepper plant were lower than tolerable weekly intake provided by WHO. Percent of translocation of mercury to aerial parts of the plant were low in both control and contaminated soils. Despite low levels of mercury in this food, it is necessary to minimize the consumption of food contaminated with this metal.

A radiochemical technique for the determination of mercury in drinking water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, S.; Chaudhri, M.S.; Qureshi, I.H.

1982-01-01

A radiochemical method for the separation and determination of mercury in drinking water has been developed. The radionuclides of mercury formed after neutron irradiation of the sample were separated by liquid/liquid extraction using PAN and TBA mixture in chloroform from aqueous nitric acid medium. Quantitative extraction of mercury was achieved in a single step and the equilibrium was attained within five minutes. (orig.)

Determination of mercury and selenium in biological materials by neutron activation analysis method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catharino, Marilia G.M.; Vasconcellos, Marina B.A.; Moreira, Edson G.; Cipriano, Roseli; Saiki, Mitiko

2000-01-01

Mercury presents a great number of applications, however, many mercury compounds are highly toxic and may cause diseases or even death. Other element of interest is selenium, as some studies have shown that it may reduce the toxic effects of mercury and other toxic elements, due to its ability to bind to these elements. In this work the mercury concentration in the 'Spiked Human Hair' IAEA-085 and 'Unspiked Human Hair' IAEA-086 certified reference materials, in hair samples of children under dental treatment and in hair samples of an Amazon Region population, subject to mercurial contamination was determined. Selenium determination was done using 77m Se and 75 Se radioisotopes. The selenium concentration was determined also in the (IAEA-085, IAEA-086, 'Dogfish Liver' DOLT-1 and 'Dogfish Muscle' DORM-1) certified reference materials, vitamin supplement and nail clipping samples. (author)

Methyl mercury in terrestrial compartments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoeppler, M.; Burow, M.; Padberg, S.; May, K.

1993-09-01

On the basis of the analytical methodology available at present the state of the art for the determination of total mercury and of various organometallic compounds of mercury in air, precipitation, limnic systems, soils, plants and biota is reviewed. This is followed by the presentation and discussion of examples for the data obtained hitherto for trace and ultratrace levels of total mercury and mainly methyl mercury in terrestrial and limnic environments as well as in biota. The data discussed stem predominantly from the past decade in which, due to significant methodological progress, many new aspects were elucidated. They include the most important results in this area achieved by the Research Centre (KFA) Juelich within the project 'Origin and Fate of Methyl Mercury' (contracts EV4V-0138-D and STEP-CT90-0057) supported by the Commission of the European Communities, Brussels. (orig.) [de

Mercury pollution in Wuchuan mercury mining area, Guizhou, Southwestern China: the impacts from large scale and artisanal mercury mining.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ping; Feng, Xinbin; Qiu, Guangle; Shang, Lihai; Wang, Shaofeng

2012-07-01

To evaluate the environmental impacts from large scale mercury mining (LSMM) and artisanal mercury mining (AMM), total mercury (THg) and methyl mercury (MeHg) were determined in mine waste, ambient air, stream water and soil samples collected from Wuchuan mercury (Hg) mining area, Guizhou, Southwestern China. Mine wastes from both LSMM and AMM contained high THg concentrations, which are important Hg contamination sources to the local environment. Total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations in the ambient air near AMM furnaces were highly elevated, which indicated that AMM retorting is a major source of Hg emission. THg concentrations in the stream water varied from 43 to 2100 ng/L, where the elevated values were mainly found in the vicinity of AMM and mine waste heaps of LSMM. Surface soils were seriously contaminated with Hg, and land using types and organic matter played an important role in accumulation and transportation of Hg in soil. The results indicated heavy Hg contaminations in the study area, which were resulted from both LSMM and AMM. The areas impacted by LSMM were concentrated in the historical mining and smelting facilities, while Hg pollution resulted from AMM can be distributed anywhere in the Hg mining area. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous determination of mercury and organic carbon in sediment and soils using a direct mercury analyzer based on thermal decomposition–atomic absorption spectrophotometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Jingjing [College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, No. 18 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310032 (China); Chakravarty, Pragya [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677 (United States); Davidson, Gregg R. [Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677 (United States); Wren, Daniel G.; Locke, Martin A. [National Sedimentation Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Oxford, MS 38655 (United States); Zhou, Ying, E-mail: yingzhou@zjut.edu.cn [College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, No. 18 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310032 (China); Brown, Garry [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677 (United States); Cizdziel, James V., E-mail: cizdziel@olemiss.edu [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677 (United States)

2015-04-29

Graphical abstract: Comparison of LOI data obtained by a conventional method and by the DMA. The dark line represents a 1:1 ratio. - Highlights: • A direct mercury analyzer was used to estimate total organic carbon. • Mercury and organic carbon were measured in oxbow lake sediment cores. • Temporal and spatial deposition of Hg in the Mississippi Delta were evaluated. - Abstract: The purpose of this work was to study the feasibility of using a direct mercury analyzer (DMA) to simultaneously determine mercury (Hg) and organic matter content in sediment and soils. Organic carbon was estimated by re-weighing the sample boats post analysis to obtain loss-on-ignition (LOI) data. The DMA-LOI results were statistically similar (p < 0.05) to the conventional muffle furnace approach. A regression equation was developed to convert DMA-LOI data to total organic carbon (TOC), which varied between 0.2% and 13.0%. Thus, mercury analyzers based on combustion can provide accurate estimates of organic carbon content in non-calcareous sediment and soils; however, weight gain from moisture (post-analysis), measurement uncertainty, and sample representativeness should all be taken into account. Sediment cores from seasonal wetland and open water areas from six oxbow lakes in the Mississippi River alluvial flood plain were analyzed. Wetland sediments generally had higher levels of Hg than open water areas owing to a greater fraction of fine particles and higher levels of organic matter. Annual loading of Hg in open water areas was estimated at 4.3, 13.4, 19.2, 20.7, 129, and 135 ng cm{sup −2} yr{sup −1} for Beasley, Roundaway, Hampton, Washington, Wolf and Sky Lakes, respectively. Generally, the interval with the highest Hg flux was dated to the 1960s and 1970s.

Determination of the effective radiative lifetimes of the 6 3P1 atomic mercury level in low-pressure mercury discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

van de Weijer, P.; Cremers, R.M.M.

1984-01-01

Experiments are described in which low-pressure mercury, mercury-argon and mercury-krypton discharges were irradiated with a dye laser pulse at 365.5 nm, thus exciting mercury atoms from the metastable 6 3 P 2 level to the 6 3 D 2 level. The 6 3 D 2 level decays radiatively to the 6 P levels. By recording the time dependence of the overpopulation in the 6 3 P 1 and the 6 1 P 1 level at the fluorescence signals at 254 nm and 185 nm, respectively, the effective radiative lifetime of these levels were determined. The effective radiative lifetime of the 6 3 P 1 level was measured in the k 0 R regime 0.1-500. The 6 1 P 1 lifetime was determined for the following discharge conditions: tube diameter 10-36 mm, mercury density 7.10 18 -2.10 21 m -3 , and noble gas pressure 0, 130, 400 Pa

Total mercury, methylmercury and selenium in mercury polluted areas in the province Guizhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Horvat, Milena; Nolde, Natasa; Fajon, Vesna; Jereb, Vesna; Logar, Martina; Lojen, Sonja; Jacimovic, Radojko; Falnoga, Ingrid; Liya, Qu; Faganeli, Jadran; Drobne, Damjana

2003-03-20

The province of Guizhou in Southwestern China is currently one of the world's most important mercury production areas. Emissions of mercury from the province to the global atmosphere have been estimated to be approximately 12% of the world total anthropogenic emissions. The main objective of this study was to assess the level of contamination with Hg in two geographical areas of Guizhou province. Mercury pollution in the areas concerned originates from mercury mining and ore processing in the area of Wanshan, while in the area of Quingzhen mercury pollution originates from the chemical industry discharging Hg through wastewaters and emissions to the atmosphere due to coal burning for electricity production. The results of this study confirmed high contamination with Hg in soil, sediments and rice in the Hg mining area in Wanshan. High levels of Hg in soil and rice were also found in the vicinity of the chemical plant in Quingzhen. The concentrations of Hg decreased with distance from the main sources of pollution considerably. The general conclusion is that Hg contamination in Wanshan is geographically more widespread, due to deposition and scavenging of Hg from contaminated air and deposition on land. In Quingzhen Hg contamination of soil is very high close to the chemical plant but the levels reach background concentrations at a distance of several km. Even though the major source of Hg in both areas is inorganic Hg, it was observed that active transformation of inorganic Hg to organic Hg species (MeHg) takes place in water, sediments and soils. The concentration of Hg in rice grains can reach up to 569 microg/kg of total Hg of which 145 microg/kg was in MeHg form. The percentage of Hg as MeHg varied from 5 to 83%. The concentrations of selenium can reach up to 16 mg/kg in soil and up to 1 mg/g in rice. A correlation exists between the concentration of Se in soil and rice, indicating that a portion of Se is bioavailable to plants. No correlation between Hg and Se

Determination of mercury and vanadium concentration in Johnius belangerii (C) fish in Musa estuary in Persian Gulf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fard, Neamat Jaafarzadeh Haghighi; Ravanbakhsh, Maryam; Ramezani, Zahra; Ahmadi, Mehdi; Angali, Kambiz Ahmadi; Javid, Ahmad Zare

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Hg & V in Johnius belangerii fish in Musa estuary, Persian Gulf was determined. • Significant reverse relationship was between concentrations of Hg & V. • Weight and length had significant direct relationship with Hg concentration. • Length had significant reverse relationship with V concentration. • Concentrations of Hg & V were higher than threshold limits. - Abstract: The main aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of mercury and vanadium in Johnius belangerii (C) fish in the Musa estuary. A total of 67 fishes were caught from the Musa estuary during five intervals of 15 days in the summer of 2013. After biometric measurements were conducted, the concentrations of mercury and vanadium were measured in the muscle tissue of fish using a direct method analyzer (DMA) and a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer, respectively. The mean concentration of mercury and vanadium in the muscle tissue of fish was 3.154 ± 1.981 and 2.921 ± 0.873 mg/kg w.w, respectively. The generalized linear model (GLM) analysis showed a significantly positive relationship among mercury concentration, length, and weight (P = 0.000). In addition, there was a significantly negative relationship between vanadium concentration and fish length (P = 0.000). A reverse association was found between concentrations of mercury and vanadium. Mercury concentration exceeded the allowable standards of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in J. belangerii (C)

Spatial distribution and trends of total mercury in waters of the Great Lakes and connecting channels using an improved sampling technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dove, A.; Hill, B.; Klawunn, P.; Waltho, J.; Backus, S.; McCrea, R.C.

2012-01-01

Environment Canada recently developed a clean method suitable for sampling trace levels of metals in surface waters. The results of sampling for total mercury in the Laurentian Great Lakes between 2003 and 2009 give a unique basin-wide perspective of concentrations of this important contaminant and represent improved knowledge of mercury in the region. Results indicate that concentrations of total mercury in the offshore regions of the lakes were within a relatively narrow range from about 0.3 to 0.8 ng/L. The highest concentrations were observed in the western basin of Lake Erie and concentrations then declined towards the east. Compared to the offshore, higher levels were observed at some nearshore locations, particularly in lakes Erie and Ontario. The longer-term temporal record of mercury in Niagara River suspended sediments indicates an approximate 30% decrease in equivalent water concentrations since 1986. - Highlights: ► Basin-wide concentrations of total mercury in Great Lakes surface waters are provided for the first time. ► A clean sampling method is described, stressing isolation of the sample from extraneous sources of contamination. ► Sub-ng/L concentrations of total mercury are observed in most Great Lakes offshore areas. ► Concentrations in the western basin of Lake Erie are consistently the highest observed in the basin. ► The longer-term record of mercury in Niagara River suspended sediments indicates an approximate 30% decrease since 1986. - A new, clean sampling method for metals is described and basin-wide measurements of total mercury are provided for Great Lakes surface waters for the first time.

Fluorescent sensing and determination of mercury (II) ions in water ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study we report on a fluorescent sensing probe based on a naphthyl azo dye modified dibenzo-18-crown-6-ether (DB18C6) for the detection and determination of mercury (II) ions in water. The probe showed high sensitivity and selectivity towards the mercury (II) ion among various alkali, alkaline earth, and transition ...

Cadmium, lead, tin, total mercury, and methylmercury in canned tuna commercialised in São Paulo, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

de Paiva, Esther Lima; Morgano, Marcelo Antonio; Milani, Raquel Fernanda

2017-09-01

The objective of this work was to determine levels of inorganic contaminants in 30 samples of five commercial brands of canned tuna, acquired on the local market in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, in the year of 2015. Total mercury and methylmercury (MeHg+) were determined by atomic absorption with thermal decomposition and amalgamation; and cadmium, lead, and tin were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Results indicated that 20% of the tuna samples surpassed limits determined by the Brazilian and European Commission legislation for cadmium; for lead, the maximum value found was 59 µg kg -1 and tin was not detected in any samples. The maximum values found for total Hg and MeHg+ were 261 and 258 µg kg -1 , respectively. As from the results obtained, it was estimated that the consumption of four cans per week (540 g) of tuna canned in water could surpass the provisional tolerable monthly intake for MeHg + by 100%.

Determination of mercury in human tissues after acute poisoning by neutron activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rakovic, M.; Glagolicova, A.; Prouza, Z.; Gregora, Z.

1976-01-01

The non-destructive determination of mercury in human tissues after acute poisoning based on the use of a γ-ray spectometer with a Ge(Li) semiconductor detector is described. Samples were irradiated at a thermal neutron flux density of about 10 12 n cm -2 s -1 for 4 hrs. From the results of the preliminary experiments the following conclusions have been drawn. The mercury losses should be negligible when drying of the biological samples at 80 deg C. To irradiate samples for mercury determination is preferable in silica tubes than in polyethylene ones. (T.I.)

Survey of total mercury and methylmercury levels in edible fish from the Adriatic Sea.

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Storelli, M M; Giacominelli-Stuffler, R; Storelli, A; D'Addabbo, R; Palermo, C; Marcotrigiano, G O

2003-12-01

Total mercury and methylmercury concentrations were measured in the muscle tissue of different fish species from the Adriatic Sea to ascertain whether the concentrations exceeded the maximum level fixed by the European Commission. Large species-dependent variability was observed. The highest total mercury mean concentrations were in benthic (0.20-0.76 microg g(-1) wet wt) and demersal fish (0.22-0.73 microg g(-1) wet wt), while pelagic species showed the lowest levels (0.09-0.23 microg g(-1) wet wt). In 15% of frost fish, in 42% of skate and in 30% of angler fish samples total mercury concentrations exceeded the maximum level fixed by the European Commission (Hg = 1 microg g(-1) wet wt); for the species for which the maximum level was set to 0.5 microg g(-1) wet wt, concentrations exceeding the prescribed legal limit were observed in 6.4% of bokkem, in 6.6% of pandora, in 20% of megrin, in 12.5% of four-spotted megrim, in 16% of striped mullet, in 5.0% of forkbeard and in 5.3% of picarel samples. In all the different species, mercury was present almost completely in the methylated form, with mean percentages between 70 and 100%. Weekly intake was estimated and compared with the provisional tolerable weekly intake recommended by the FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. A high exposure was associated with the consumption of only skates, frost fish and angler fish, thought the consumption of the other species, such as, megrim, four spotted megrim, red fish striped mullet and forkbeard, resulted in a weekly intake slightly below the established provisional tolerable weekly intake.

Indirect complexometric determination of mercury(II) using potassium bromide as selective masking agent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sreekumar, N.V.; Nazareth, R.A.; Narayana, B.; Hegde, P.; Manjunatha, B.R.

2002-01-01

A complexometric method for the determination of mercury in presence of other metal ions based on the selective masking ability of potassium bromide towards mercury is described. Mercury(II) present in a given sample solution is first complexed with a known excess of EDTA and the surplus EDTA is titrated against zinc sulfate solution at pH 5-6 using xylenol orange as the indicator. A known excess of 10 % solution of potassium bromide is then added and the EDTA released from Hg-EDTA complex is titrated against standard zinc sulfate solution. Reproducible and accurate results are obtained for 8 mg to 250 mg of mercury(II) with a relative error ±0.28 % and standard deviations /leg 0.5 mg. The interference of various ions is studied. This method was applied to the determination of mercury(II) in its alloys. (author)

Determination of mercury in air by adsorption on Hopcalite and by neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leyni-Barbaz, D.; Zikovsky, L.; Poissant, L.

2002-01-01

A new method for the determination of mercury in air has been developed. It combines the adsorption of mercury on Hopcalite (a material approved for this purpose by the National Institute of Health of the United States) and its quantification by neutron activation. The concentrations of mercury in office air in Montreal, Canada, were determined by instrumental semiabsolute neutron activation analysis. They varied from 39 to 48 ng/m 3 . The results were compared with the concentrations of mercury in office air determined simultaneously at the same place by cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrophotometry. A close correlation between the results of the 2 methods was obtained. The detection limit of our method is about 14 ng/m 3 . (author)

Mercury-cycling in surface waters and in the atmosphere - species analysis for the investigation of transformation and transport properties of mercury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebinghaus, R.; Hintelmann, H.; Wilken, R.D.

1994-01-01

The river Elbe has been one of the most contaminated rivers with regard to mercury for many years. In 1991 a length-profile has been measured for mercury and methylmercury (CH 3 Hg + ) from Obristvi, Czech Republic, to the German bight. Total mercury has been measured by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS). The organo mercury compounds have been separated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) connected on-line to an atomic fluorescence spectrometer (AFS) by a continuous flow-system. Total mercury up to 120 mg Hg + /kg and CH 3 Hg + concentrations up to 130 μg CH 3 Hg + /kg could be detected in special sites. The formation of CH 3 Hg + in sediments can be caused besides the methylation of mercury, by sulphate reducing or methanogenic bacteria and transmethylation reactions with organometals. Atmospheric mercury concentrations have been measured at three different European sites. Samples have been collected on gold-coated glass balls or on quartz wool, respectively. After thermal desorption mercury has been determined using the two step amalgamation technique with AFS detection. Compared to natural background concentrations of total gaseous mercury (TGM), slightly increased levels could be detected at a rural site in Germany. This increase can probably be explained by long-range transport processes. Within the vicinity of a inactivated mercury production plant high concentrations of up to 13.5 ng/m 3 particle associated mercury (Hg part ) have been detected. Consequently, dry deposition of mercury in the particulate form can intensify the total deposition flux close to Hg-emitting sources. (orig.)

Determination of mercury and methylmercury in Vietnamese pregnant woman head hair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen Tac Anh; Ho Manh Dung; Le Tat Mua; Vu Tien Ha

1992-01-01

As a participant to the Coordinated Research Program (CRP) on the Assessment of Environmental Exposure to Mercury in Selected Human Populations as Studied by Nuclear and Other Techniques since 1 July 1992, the Vietnamese started to carry out work on project ''Determination of Mercury and Methylmercury in Vietnamese Pregnant Women Head Hair''. This study is aimed at making a concrete survey of hair mercury levels in groups of women as monitored continuously from early pregnancy to post-natal period. The obtained data could be of great usefulness for further investigation on potential health risks in pregnant women and their babies as related to degree of mercury pollution in the environment. 2 figs, 7 tabs

A mercury transport and fate model (LM2-mercury) for mass budget assessment of mercury cycling in Lake Michigan

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LM2-Mercury, a mercury mass balance model, was developed to simulate and evaluate the transport, fate, and biogeochemical transformations of mercury in Lake Michigan. The model simulates total suspended solids (TSS), disolved organic carbon (DOC), and total, elemental, divalent, ...

Total Blood Mercury Levels and Depression among Adults in the United States: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2008

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Ng, Tsz Hin H.; Mossey, Jana M.; Lee, Brian K.

2013-01-01

Background Mercury is a neurotoxicant linked with psychiatric symptoms at high levels of exposure. However, it is unclear whether an association is present at the low exposure levels in the US adult population. Materials and Methods Cross-sectional associations of total blood mercury and depression were assessed in 6,911 adults age ≥20 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2005–2008. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to assess depression (high likelihood of a depressive spectrum disorder diagnosis; score 5–27). Results Unadjusted survey weighted logistic regression suggested that higher total blood mercury was associated with lower odds of depression (Odds Ratio  = 0.49, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.36–0.65, comparing the highest and lowest mercury quintiles). This association largely disappeared after adjustment for sociodemographic variables (income-poverty ratio, education, marital status). However, in age-stratified analyses, this inverse relationship remained in older adults (age ≥40) even after adjustment for sociodemographic variables. Simulation analyses adjusting for expected confounding effects of fish intake suggested that the inverse relationship among older adults may be plausibly attributed to residual confounding (Odds Ratio  = 0.75, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.50–1.12, comparing the highest and lowest mercury quintiles). Conclusions Higher total blood mercury was not associated with increased odds of depression. The lower odds of depression in older adults with higher total blood mercury may be due to residual confounding. PMID:24244482

Below a Historic Mercury Mine: Non-linear Patterns of Mercury Bioaccumulation in Aquatic Organisms

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Haas, J.; Ichikawa, G.; Ode, P.; Salsbery, D.; Abel, J.

2001-12-01

Unlike most heavy metals, mercury is capable of bioaccumulating in aquatic food-chains, primarily because it is methylated by bacteria in sediment to the more toxic methylmercury form. Mercury concentrations in a number of riparian systems in California are highly elevated as a result of historic mining activities. These activities included both the mining of cinnabar in the coastal ranges to recover elemental mercury and the use of elemental mercury in the gold fields of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The most productive mercury mining area was the New Almaden District, now a county park, located in the Guadalupe River drainage of Santa Clara County, where cinnabar was mined and retorted for over 100 years. As a consequence, riparian systems in several subwatersheds of the Guadalupe River drainage are contaminated with total mercury concentrations that exceed state hazardous waste criteria. Mercury concentrations in fish tissue frequently exceed human health guidelines. However, the potential ecological effects of these elevated mercury concentrations have not been thoroughly evaluated. One difficulty is in extrapolating sediment concentrations to fish tissue concentrations without accounting for physical and biological processes that determine bioaccumulation patterns. Many processes, such as methylation and demethylation of mercury by bacteria, assimilation efficiency in invertebrates, and metabolic rates in fish, are nonlinear, a factor that often confounds attempts to evaluate the effects of mercury contamination on aquatic food webs. Sediment, benthic macroinvertebrate, and fish tissue samples were collected in 1998 from the Guadalupe River drainage in Santa Clara County at 13 sites upstream and downstream from the historic mining district. Sediment and macroinvertebrate samples were analyzed for total mercury and methylmercury. Fish samples were analyzed for total mercury as whole bodies, composited by species and size. While linear correlations of sediment

Determination of the variation of mercury isotope concentration based on spectral-phase effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganeev, A.A.; Man', D.D.; Turkin, Yu.I.

1988-01-01

A method of isotopic atomic-absorption analysis, based on spectral-phase effects in which there is no need to use several sources of radiation with pure isotopes of the analyte element, was developed. The method made it possible to simplify the analysis and to determine the variation of the concentration of mercury isotopes from one deposit to another with an accuracy several times higher that of traditional methods of spectral isotopic analysis. The method was tested on mercury 198 and mercury 202. The isotopic analyzer is diagramed and described. The mechanism of spectral-phase effects was determined by the difference in effective photon lifetimes, corresponding to different components of the hyperfine structure of the resonance line of mercury at 254 nm

Mercury kinetics in marine zooplankton

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fowler, S.W.; Heyraud, M.; LaRosa, J.

1976-01-01

Mercury, like many other heavy metals, is potentially available to marine animals by uptake directly from water and/or through the organisms food. Furthermore, bioavailability, assimilation and subsequent retention in biota may be affected by the chemical species of the element in sea water. While mercury is known to exist in the inorganic form in sea water, recent work has indicated that, in certain coastal areas, a good portion of the total mercury appears to be organically bound; however, the exact chemical nature of the organic fraction has yet to be determined. Methyl mercury may be one constituent of the natural organically bound fraction since microbial mechanisms for in situ methylation of mercury have been demonstrated in the aquatic environment. Despite the fact that naturally produced methyl mercury probably comprises only a small fraction of an aquatic ecosystem, the well-documented toxic effects of this organo-mercurial, caused by man-made introductions into marine food chains, make it an important compound to study

Mercury and halogens in coal--Their role in determining mercury emissions from coal combustion

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Kolker, Allan; Quick, Jeffrey C.; Senior, Connie L.; Belkin, Harvey E.

2012-01-01

Mercury is a toxic pollutant. In its elemental form, gaseous mercury has a long residence time in the atmosphere, up to a year, allowing it to be transported long distances from emission sources. Mercury can be emitted from natural sources such as volcanoes, or from anthropogenic sources, such as coal-fired powerplants. In addition, all sources of mercury on the Earth's surface can re-emit it from land and sea back to the atmosphere, from which it is then redeposited. Mercury in the atmosphere is present in such low concentrations that it is not considered harmful. Once mercury enters the aquatic environment, however, it can undergo a series of biochemical transformations that convert a portion of the mercury originally present to methylmercury, a highly toxic organic form of mercury that accumulates in fish and birds. Many factors contribute to creation of methylmercury in aquatic ecosystems, including mercury availability, sediment and nutrient load, bacterial influence, and chemical conditions. In the United States, consumption of fish with high levels of methylmercury is the most common pathway for human exposure to mercury, leading the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue fish consumption advisories in every State. The EPA estimates that 50 percent of the mercury entering the atmosphere in the United States is emitted from coal-burning utility powerplants. An EPA rule, known as MATS (for Mercury and Air Toxics Standards), to reduce emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from powerplants, was signed in December 2011. The rule, which is currently under review, specifies limits for mercury and other toxic elements, such as arsenic, chromium, and nickel. MATS also places limits on emission of harmful acid gases, such as hydrochloric acid and hydrofluoric acid. These standards are the result of a 2010 detailed nationwide program by the EPA to sample stack emissions and thousands of shipments of coal to coal-burning powerplants. The United

Factorial design analysis on the solubility of total mercury in reduction process = Análise do processo experimental na solubilidade do mercúrio total em processo redutivo

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Raquel Dalla Costa

2007-07-01

Full Text Available The dental wastewater can contribute to the total daily mercury load on the environment. Factorial design of experiments is useful to analyze factors that influence this solubility. The aim of the present study was to design experiments to examine the effects ofoperational variables, humic acid, temperature, pH and contact time that may affect the solubility of total mercury as dental amalgam residue in reduction process. Based on the factorial design of experiments, the humic acid concentration was the most significant factor in this process, followed by other factors. The parameters affecting the solubility of total mercury showed that when the [HA], T and CT increases and pH decreases there is an important increase of total mercury concentration in process. For the tested conditions, thehigh total mercury concentration was obtained using the humic acid concentration = 1.0 g L-1, temperature = 35oC, pH = 4.0 and contact time = 10 days.O esgoto odontológico pode contribuir na carga total de mercúrio noambiente. O estudo do planejamento experimental é útil para analisar os fatores que influenciam nesta solubilidade. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar um planejamento experimental para analisar os efeitos das variáveis operacionais, ácido húmico, temperatura,pH e tempo de contato, que podem afetar a solubilidade do mercúrio total como amálgama odontológico em um processo de redução. Baseado no planejamento experimental, a concentração de ácido húmico foi o fator mais significativo no processo, seguido dos demais fatores. Os parâmetros que afetam a solubilidade do mercúrio total mostram que quando a [AH], T e TC aumentam e o pH diminui há um aumento significativo na concentração de mercúrio total no processo. A maior concentração de mercúrio total foi obtido nas condições de concentração de ácido húmico = 1,0 g L-1, temperatura = 35oC, pH = 4,0 e tempo de contato = 10 dias.

Determination of total mercury for marine environmental monitoring studies by solid sampling continuum source high resolution atomic absorption spectrometry

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Mandjukov, Petko; Orani, Anna Maria; Han, Eunmi; Vassileva, Emilia

2015-01-01

The most critical step in almost all commonly used analytical procedures for Hg determination is the sample preparation due to its extreme volatility. One of the possible solutions of this problem is the application of methods for direct analysis of solid samples. The possibilities for solid sampling high resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry (HR CS AAS) determination of total mercury in various marine environmental samples e.g. sediments and biota are object of the present study. The instrumental parameters were optimized in order to obtain reproducible and interference free analytical signal. A calibration technique based on the use of solid standard certified reference materials similar to the nature of the analyzed sample was developed and applied to various CRMs and real samples. This technique allows simple and reliable evaluation of the uncertainty of the result and the metrological characteristics of the method. A validation approach in line with the requirements of ISO 17025 standard and Eurachem guidelines was followed. With this in mind, selectivity, working range (0.06 to 25 ng for biota and 0.025 to 4 ng for sediment samples, expressed as total Hg) linearity (confirmed by Student's t-test), bias (1.6-4.3%), repeatability (4-9%), reproducibility (9-11%), and absolute limit of detection (0.025 ng for sediment, 0.096 ng for marine biota) were systematically assessed using solid CRMs. The relative expanded uncertainty was estimated at 15% for sediment sample and 8.5% for marine biota sample (k = 2). Demonstration of traceability of measurement results is also presented. The potential of the proposed analytical procedure, based on solid sampling HR CS AAS technique was demonstrated by direct analysis of sea sediments form the Caribbean region and various CRMs. Overall, the use of solid sampling HR CS AAS permits obtaining significant advantages for the determination of this complex analyte in marine samples, such as straightforward

Total Mercury, Methylmercury, Inorganic Arsenic and Other Elements in Meat from Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) from the North East Atlantic Ocean.

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Maage, Amund; Nilsen, Bente M; Julshamn, Kaare; Frøyland, Livar; Valdersnes, Stig

2017-08-01

Meat samples of 84 minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) mainly from the Barents Sea, collected between 1 May and 16 August 2011, were analyzed for total mercury, methylmercury, cadmium, lead, total arsenic, inorganic arsenic and selenium. The average total mercury concentration found was 0.15 ± 0.09 mg/kg, with a range from 0.05 to 0.49 mg/kg. The molar ratio of selenium to mercury varied between 1.0 and 10.3. Cadmium content ranged from 0.002 to 0.036 mg/kg, while the content of lead in whale meat ranged from whale samples exceeded established EU maximum levels for metals in fish muscle, but 4.8% and 6.8% of the samples exceeded Japanese maximum levels for total mercury and methylmercury, respectively, in whale meat. There was only minor variations in element concentrations between whales from different geographical areas, and cadmium was the only element were the concentration increased with increasing length.

Recent Developments in the Speciation and Determination of Mercury Using Various Analytical Techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lakshmi Narayana Suvarapu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews the speciation and determination of mercury by various analytical techniques such as atomic absorption spectrometry, voltammetry, inductively coupled plasma techniques, spectrophotometry, spectrofluorometry, high performance liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography. Approximately 126 research papers on the speciation and determination of mercury by various analytical techniques published in international journals since 2013 are reviewed.

Spectrophotometric determination of mercury in water samples after preconcentration using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction.

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Lemos, Valfredo Azevedo; dos Santos, Liz Oliveira; Silva, Eldevan dos Santos; Vieira, Emanuel Vitor dos Santos

2012-01-01

A simple method for the determination of mercury in water samples after preconcentration using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction is described. The procedure is based on the extraction of mercury in the form of a complex and its subsequent determination by spectrophotometry. The complex is formed between Hg(II) and 2-(2-benzothiazolylazo)-p-cresol. The detection at 650 nm is performed directly in the metal-rich phase, which is spread on a triacetylcellulose membrane. The method eliminates the need to use a cuvet or large quantities of samples and reagents. The parameters that influence the preconcentration were studied, and the analytical characteristics were determined. The enrichment factor and the consumptive index for this method were 64 and 0.16 mL, respectively. The LOD (3.3 microg/L) and LOQ (11.1 microg/L) were also determined. The accuracy of the method was tested by the determination of mercury in certified reference materials BCR 397 (Human Hair) and SRM 2781 (Domestic Sludge). The method was applied to the determination of mercury in samples of drinking water, sea water, and river water.

Summary of total mercury concentrations in fillets of selected sport fishes collected during 2000-2003 from Lake Natoma, Sacramento County, California

Science.gov (United States)

Saiki, Michael K.; Slotton, Darrell G.; May, Thomas W.; Ayers, Shaun M.; Alpers, Charles N.

2004-01-01

This report summarizes results of total mercury measurements in skinless fillets of sport fishes collected during August 2000, September?October 2002, and July 2003 from Lake Natoma, a small (8,760 acre-feet) afterbay for Folsom Dam on the lower American River. The primary objective of the study was to determine if mercury concentrations in fillets approached or exceeded guidelines for human consumption. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) human-health action level for methylmercury in commercially caught fish is 1.0 ?g/g (microgram per gram); the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) human-health criterion for methylmercury residue in fish tissue is 0.30 ?g/g. Wet weight concentrations of total mercury in skinless fillets were as high as 0.19 ?g/g in bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), 0.39 ?g/g in redear sunfish (L. microlophus), 1.02 ?g/g in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and 1.89 ?g/g in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Maximum concentrations of mercury in other fish species varied from 0.10 ?g/g in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to 0.56 ?g/g in white catfish (A-meiurus catus). Altogether, 1 of 86 largemouth bass and 11 of 11 channel catfish exceeded the FDA human-health action level. In addition, 1 of 20 redear sunfish, 26 of 86 largemouth bass, 2 of 3 spotted bass (M. punctulatus), 1 of 1 brown bullhead (A. nebulosus), and 1 of 1 white catfish exceeded the USEPA human-health criterion. These results indicate that some fish species inhabiting Lake Natoma contain undesirably high concentrations of mercury in their skinless fillets.

Determination of mercury in ppb level by activation analysis and chemical separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Requejo, C.S.

1983-02-01

A method for determining mercury in steel samples was developed. Activation analysis using thermal neutrons, followed by radiochemical separations to eliminate 75 Se interferences, were applied. Sixty hours after the end of the irradiation, the samples were processed and distillation of mercury and selenium bromides were carried out. Selenium was separated as an element and mercury sulfide was precipitaded. The chemical separation procedure was tested by using a tracer technique; the recovery yield was 99,2% + - 2,7%. (C.L.B.) [pt

Importance of Dissolved Neutral Hg-Sulfides, Energy Rich Organic Matter and total Hg Concentrations for Methyl Mercury Production in Sediments

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Drott, A.; Skyllberg, U.

2007-12-01

Methyl mercury (MeHg) is the mercury form that biomagnifies to the greatest extent in aquatic food webs. Therefore information about factors determining MeHg concentrations is critical for accurate risk assessment of contaminated environments. The concentration of MeHg in wetlands and sediments is the net result of: 1) methylation rates, 2) demethylation rates, and 3) input/output processes. In this study, the main controls on Hg methylation rates and total concentrations of MeHg, were investigated at eight sites in Sweden with sediments that had been subjected to local Hg contamination either as Hg(0), or as phenyl-Hg. Sediments were selected to represent a gradient in total Hg concentration, temperature climate, salinity, primary productivity, and organic C content and quality. Most sediments were high in organic matter content due to wood fibre efflux from pulp and paper industry. The pore water was analysed for total Hg, MeHg, DOC, H2S(aq), pH, DOC, Cl and Br. The chemical speciation of Hg(II) and MeHg in pore water was calculated using equilibrium models. Potential methylation and demethylation rates in sediments were determined in incubation experiments at 23° C under N2(g) for 48 h, after addition of isotopically enriched 201Hg(II) and Me204Hg. In all surface (0-20 cm) sediments there was a significant (pdetermined specific potential methylation rate constant (Km, day-1) and % MeHg (concentrations of MeHg normalized to total Hg) in the sediment. This indicates that MeHg production overruled degradation and input/output processes of MeHg in surface sediments, and that % MeHg in surface sediments may be used as a proxy for net production of MeHg. To our knowledge, these are the first data showing significant positive relationships between short term (48 h) MeHg production and longer term accumulation of MeHg, across a range of sites with different properties (1). If MeHg was not normalized to total Hg, the relationship was not significant. For sub-sets of

Determination of x mercury trace amounts in selected foodstuffs by neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiranek, V.; Bludovsky, R.

1976-01-01

Neutron activation analysis was used for the analysis of dehydrated milk, flour, coffee, tea and rice. The results were compared with those obtained by the photometric determination of mercury by dithizone. Four types of sample distribution by wet ashing were evaluated with regard to mercury volatilization in sample destruction. The samples were irradiated with thermal neutrons, a carrier was added and the samples were dissolved in the mixture of H 2 SO 4 +HClO 4 +HNO 3 . After dilution mercury was extracted using a substoichiometric amount of dithizone dissolved in chloroform. In the extract the radioactivity of 197 Hg was measured by NaI(Tl). At the average 15% accuracy of determination the lower limit of determination is 0.003 μg Hg. (M.K.)

Mercury distribution in Douro estuary (Portugal)

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Ramalhosa, E. [Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Pereira, E. [Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal)]. E-mail: eduper@dq.ua.pt; Vale, C. [National Institute for Agronomy and Fishery Research, IPIMAR, Avenida Brasilia, 1449-006 Lisboa (Portugal); Valega, M. [Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Monterroso, P. [Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Duarte, A.C. [Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal)

2005-11-15

Determinations of dissolved reactive and total dissolved mercury, particulate and sedimentary mercury, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and suspended particulate matter (SPM) have been made in the estuary of river Douro, in northern Portugal. The estuary was stratified by salinity along most of its length, it had low concentrations of SPM, typically <20 mg dm{sup -3}, and concentrations of DOC in the range <1.0-1.8 mg dm{sup -3}. The surface waters had a maximum dissolved concentration of reactive mercury of about 10 ng dm{sup -3}, whereas for the more saline bottom waters it was about 65 ng dm{sup -3}. The surface waters had maximum concentrations of total suspended particulate mercury of {approx}7 {mu}g g{sup -1} and the bottom waters were always <1 {mu}g g{sup -1}. Concentrations of mercury in sediments was low and in the range from 0.06 to 0.18 {mu}g g{sup -1}. The transport of mercury in surface waters was mainly associated with organic-rich particulate matter, while in bottom waters the dissolved phase transport of mercury is more important. Lower particulate organic matter, formation of chlorocomplexes in more saline waters and eventually the presence of colloids appear to explain the difference of mercury partitioning in Douro estuarine waters.

Determination of mercury, lead and cadmium in water by the CRA-atomic absorption spectrophotometry with solvent extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shim, Y.B.; Won, M.S.; Kim, C.J.

1980-01-01

The method of CRA-atomic absorption spectrophotometer with solvent extraction for the determination of mercury, lead and cadmium in water was studied. The optimum extracting conditions for CRA-atomic absorption spectrophotometry were the following: the complexes of mercury, lead and cadmium with dithizone were separated from the aqueous solution and concentrated into the 10 ml chloroform solution. Back extraction was performed; the concentrated mercury, lead and cadmium was extracted from the chloroform solution into the 10 ml 6-normal aqueous hydrochloric acid solution. In this case, recovery ratios were the following: mercury was 94.7%, lead 97.7% and cadmium 103.6%. The optimum operating conditions for the determination of mercury, lead and cadmium by the CRA-atomic absorption spectrophotometry also were investigated to test the dry step, ash step and atomization step for each metal. The experimental results of standard addition method were the following: the determination limit of each metal within 6% relative deviation was that lead was 0.04 ppb, and cadmium 0.01 ppb. Especially, mercury has been known impossible to determine by CRA-atomic absorption spectrophotometry until now. But in this study, mercury can be determined with CRA-atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Its determination limit was 4 ppb within 8% relative deviation. (author)

Determination of Mercury Daily Intake and Hair-to-Blood Mercury Concentration Ratio in People Resident of the Coast of the Persian Gulf, Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Okati, Narjes; Esmaili-Sari, Abbas

2018-01-01

The objectives of this study were to understand the mercury daily intake and hair-to-blood mercury ratio in fishermen and non-fishermen families in the coast of the Persian Gulf in Iran. The mean mercury concentration in the hair of fishermen and non-fishermen families was 5.76 and 2.27 μg/g, respectively. The mean mercury concentrations of RBCs were obtained for fishermen families and non-fishermen families: 35.96 and 17.18 μg/L, respectively. Hair mercury concentrations in 17% of people were higher than 10 μg/g, the No Observed Adverse Effects Level set by the World Health Organization. 78% of people had a blood mercury value > 5.8 μg/L, the standard level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A significant correlation (r = 0.94, p = 0.000) was seen between log hair and RBCs mercury concentrations. The mean mercury daily intake for fishermen and non-fishermen families was 0.42 and 0.20 µg/kg BW per day, respectively. The mean mercury daily intake of fishermen families was higher than the provisional tolerable daily intake (0.23 µg/kg BW per day) suggested by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives. Mercury daily intake significantly correlated with fish consumption (r = 0.50, p = 0.000) and log hair mercury (r = 0.88, p = 0.000). The total mean of hair-to-blood mercury concentration ratio was 306. We conclude that the use of mercury concentrations in the hair and RBCs could have been suitable biomarkers for predicting mercury exposure of people with a high rate of fish consumption.

FINAL REPORT ON THE AQUATIC MERCURY ASSESSMENT STUDY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halverson, N

2008-09-30

. Methylmercury ranged from 0.002 ng/l in Upper Three Runs to 2.60 ng/l in Tims Branch. Total mercury in the Savannah River ranged from 0.62 ng/l to 43.9 ng/l, and methylmercury ranged from 0.036 ng/l to 7.54 ng/l. Both total and methylmercury concentrations were consistently high in the river near the mouth of Steel Creek. Total mercury was positively correlated with methylmercury (r = 0.88). Total mercury bound to particulates ranged from 41% to 57% in the river and from 28% to 90% in the streams. Particulate methylmercury varied from 9% to 37% in the river and from 6% to 79% in the streams. Small temporary pools in the Savannah River swamp area near and around Fourmile Branch had the highest concentrations observed in the Savannah River watershed, reaching 1,890 ng/l for total mercury and 34.0 ng/l for methylmercury. The second study developed a mercury bioaccumulation factor (BAF) for the Savannah River near SRS. A BAF is the ratio of the concentration of mercury in fish flesh to the concentration of mercury in the water. BAFs are important in the TMDL process because target concentrations for mercury in water are computed from BAFs. Mercury BAFs are known to differ substantially among fish species, water bodies, and possibly seasons. Knowledge of such variation is needed to determine a BAF that accurately represents average and extreme conditions in the water body under study. Analysis of fish tissue and aqueous methylmercury samples collected at a number of locations and over several seasons in a 110 km (68 mile) reach of the Savannah River demonstrated that BAFs for each species under study varied by factors of three to eight. Influences on BAF variability were location, habitat and season-related differences in fish mercury levels and seasonal differences in methylmercury levels in the water. Overall (all locations, habitats, and seasons) average BAFs were 3.7 x 10{sup 6} for largemouth bass, 1.4 x 10{sup 6} for sunfishes, and 2.5 x 10{sup 6} for white catfish. This study

Characteristics of total gaseous mercury concentrations at a coastal area of the Yangtze Delta, China.

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Diao, Chunyan; Li, Jianfeng; Zhang, Bin; Tang, Shichuang

2017-03-01

In this study, we report on total gaseous mercury (TGM) field observations made in the rural area of Shanghai, Chongming Island, China, from September 2009 to April 2012. The average TGM was 2.65 ± 1.73 ng m -3 in Chongming Island, which is higher than the TGM background value of the Northern Hemisphere (1.5-1.7 ng m -3 ); this indicates that to some extent, the Chongming area has been affected by anthropogenic mercury emissions. The observed TGM follows a seasonal pattern; concentrations are highest in winter, followed by autumn, summer, and spring. There is also a clear diurnal variation in TGM. All peak values appear between 7:00 and 9:00 in all four seasons; this appears to be the result of the height change in the atmospheric boundary layer that occurs between day and night. TGM concentrations in Chongming remain high in the westerly wind direction, especially in the southwest direction because of its low frequency, so the greatest source contribution to TGM in Chongming lies to the northwest. Wind speed is also a significant factor affecting TGM, and was negatively correlated with TGM concentrations. TGM is also closely related to carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations, indicating that TGM is impacted by human activities. The slope of the linear fitting of TGM and CO demonstrates that the contribution of noncoal source emissions to TGM in summer is greater than in autumn, mainly because the high temperature and intensive sunlight in summer increase mercury emissions from natural sources. Except for some studies in the coastal areas (e.g., Kang Hwa Island by Kim et al., 2006, An-Myun Island by Kim et al., 2002, and Okinawa by Chan et al., 2008), data specifically for coastal areas are lacking. Monitoring of total gaseous mercury (TGM) in the rural area of Shanghai, Chongming Island, can help us understand mercury distribution.

Determination of arsenic and mercury in facial cosmetics by instrumental neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bravo Martinez, J.

1979-01-01

The presence of arsenic and mercury in some chilean facial cosmetics was investiged. Since in Chile there is no regulations dealing with the maximum permisible concentration of some chemical elements in cosmetics products, the national industry control neither the presence nor the quantity, if any, of those elements. The study was performed on compact or powder eye shadows by means of instrumental neutron activation analysis. The samples were analized without any chemical treatment and with minimum manipulation to avoid any possible contamination. A total of 67 samples from 9 different cosmetic industries were analysed. Arsenic was detected and determined quantitatively in 46 samples, ranging from 0.32 to 136 ppm. Mercury was not detected in any sample. The contamination of arsenic is due to the high concentration of this element in some of the raw material used in the manufacturing of the cosmetics, as was demonstrated by the analysis of these materials. (EC)

Methyl mercury, but not inorganic mercury, associated with higher blood pressure during pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wells, Ellen M; Herbstman, Julie B; Lin, Yu Hong; Hibbeln, Joseph R; Halden, Rolf U; Witter, Frank R; Goldman, Lynn R

2017-04-01

Prior studies addressing associations between mercury and blood pressure have produced inconsistent findings; some of this may result from measuring total instead of speciated mercury. This cross-sectional study of 263 pregnant women assessed total mercury, speciated mercury, selenium, and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in umbilical cord blood and blood pressure during labor and delivery. Models with a) total mercury or b) methyl and inorganic mercury were evaluated. Regression models adjusted for maternal age, race/ethnicity, prepregnancy body mass index, neighborhood income, parity, smoking, n-3 fatty acids and selenium. Geometric mean total, methyl, and inorganic mercury concentrations were 1.40µg/L (95% confidence interval: 1.29, 1.52); 0.95µg/L (0.84, 1.07); and 0.13µg/L (0.10, 0.17), respectively. Elevated systolic BP, diastolic BP, and pulse pressure were found, respectively, in 11.4%, 6.8%, and 19.8% of mothers. In adjusted multivariable models, a one-tertile increase of methyl mercury was associated with 2.83mmHg (0.17, 5.50) higher systolic blood pressure and 2.99mmHg (0.91, 5.08) higher pulse pressure. In the same models, an increase of one tertile of inorganic mercury was associated with -1.18mmHg (-3.72, 1.35) lower systolic blood pressure and -2.51mmHg (-4.49, -0.53) lower pulse pressure. No associations were observed with diastolic pressure. There was a non-significant trend of higher total mercury with higher systolic blood pressure. We observed a significant association of higher methyl mercury with higher systolic and pulse pressure, yet higher inorganic mercury was significantly associated with lower pulse pressure. These results should be confirmed with larger, longitudinal studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mercury in Pelecanus occidentalis of the Cispata bay, Colombia

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Saudith Burgos N.

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Objective. Assessment the total concentration of mercury in the liver and feathers of Pelecanus occidentalis of the Cispata bay, Colombia. Materials and methods. Mercury concentrations in liver and feather of Pelecanus occidentalis residents in the Cispata bay – Colombia were evaluated by digestion with an acidic mixture of H2SO4–HNO3 and KMnO4 to eliminate organic matter. The concentration of mercury was determined by the Atomic Absorption - Cold Vapor method (CVAAS. Results. Total mercury levels found in this study were higher in feathers (0.31-9.17 mgHg/kg than in the liver (0.63–6.29 mgHg/kg, being higher than those reported in other seabirds studies. Conclusions. The high levels of total mercury in feathers and liver can be explained by the feeding habits of the organisms under study, showing the utility of feathers as a potential non-invasive tool for the monitoring of the ecosystem and thereby preventing the sacrifice of specimens.

A rapid neutron activation method for the determination of traces of mercury. The mercury content of biological material of differing geographical and chronological origin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rohde, H.

1975-08-01

A rapid method based on activation analysis has been developed for the determination of mercury in biological material. The method employs the delayed gamma rays as prompt gamma rays have been shown to display insufficient sensitivity. The mercury content of 182 fish derived from the waters of the region of South Western Germany has been determined. Relatively high concentrations (> 1 ppm) have been measured in the muscle of Rhine fish. Similar mercury contents have been observed in aged biological material (birds feathers and human hair) and contemporary living organisms. (orig.) [de

Total mercury concentrations in surface water and sediments from Danube Delta lakes

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TEODOROF Liliana

2007-10-01

Full Text Available The samples were collected from surface water and sediments of Danube Delta lakes, during april and may 2006. The sediments were digested with nitric acid, and the surface water with real aqua, at Microwave Oven Anton Paar and analised at FIMS 400 Perkin Elmer. The results show that the total mercury is compared with the maximum allowed limits according with Normative 161/2006.

Toward a Unified Understanding of Mercury and Methylated Mercury from the World's Oceans

Science.gov (United States)

McNutt, M. K.; Krabbenhoft, D. P.; Landing, W. M.; Sunderland, E. M.

2012-12-01

Marine fish and shellfish are the main source of toxic methylmercury exposure for humans. As recently as decade ago, very limited aqueous methylated mercury data were available from marine settings, resulting in a generally poor understanding of the processes controlling mercury in pelagic marine food webs. Recent oceanographic cruises have significantly improved availability of reliable measurements of methylated mercury and total mercury in seawater. This presentation will focus on vertical seawater profiles collected to depths 1000 m from three recent sampling efforts in collaboration with the CLIVAR Repeat Hydrography Program sponsored by NOAA including: 1) the northeastern Pacific (P16N cruise from Honolulu, Hawaii to Kodiak, Alaska); (2) the southern Indian Ocean (I5 cruise from Cape Town, South Africa, to Fremantle, Australia); and, (3) the Southern Ocean cruise (S4P from McMurdo, Antarctica, to Punta Arenas, Chile). Analytical results presented were all derived from the USGS Mercury Research Lab (http://wi.water.usgs.gov/mercury-lab). Supporting data derived from these cruises on water mass ages, nutrients, carbon and dissolved oxygen provide an opportunity to develop a stronger understanding of the biogeochemical factors controlling oceanic distributions of mercury and methylated mercury. Whole-water, median total mercury, and methylated mercury concentrations for the northern Pacific, southern Indian, and Southern Ocean were 1.10, 0.80, and 1.65 pM, , and 0.11, 0.08, and 0.32 pM, respectively. For all three oceans, vertical profiles of total mercury generally show the lowest concentrations in the surface mixed layer, and concentration maxima at the 700-1000 m depths. Surface depletion of total mercury is attributed to photo-chemical reduction and evasion of gaseous elemental mercury as well as scavenging by settling particulate matter, the main vector of transport to the subsurface ocean. Methylated mercury in all the ocean profiles reveal distinct mid

Distribution of total mercury, methyl mercury and selenium in pod of killer whales (Orcinus Orca) stranded in the northern area of Japan: Comparison of mature females with calves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Endo, Tetsuya; Kimura, Osamu; Hisamichi, Yohsuke; Minoshima, Yasuhiko; Haraguchi, Koichi; Kakumoto, Chiharu; Kobayashi, Mari

2006-01-01

Total mercury (T-Hg) and selenium (Se) concentrations in liver, kidney and muscle from a pod of killer whales including five mature females and three calves stranded in the northern area of Japan were analyzed. In the mature female, contamination level of T-Hg in the liver sample (62.2 ± 21.9 μg/wet g) was markedly higher than that in kidney sample and muscle sample. The molar ratio of T-Hg to Se in the liver sample was approximately 1, and those in the kidney and muscle samples were markedly lower than 1. These results suggest that the formation of HgSe compound increases the hepatic accumulation of mercury (Hg). In contrast, contamination level of T-Hg in the calf organs was much lower than that in the mature female organs. These results suggest that the transfer of Hg from the mother to the fetus via placenta and/or to calf via milk is trace. - Total mercury, methyl mercury and selenium concentrations in liver, kidney and muscle from a pod of killer whales stranded in the northern area of Japan were analyzed

Distribution of total mercury, methyl mercury and selenium in pod of killer whales (Orcinus Orca) stranded in the northern area of Japan: Comparison of mature females with calves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Endo, Tetsuya [Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Ishikari-Tobetsu, Hokkaido 061-0293 (Japan)]. E-mail: endotty@hoku-iryo-u.ac.jp; Kimura, Osamu [Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Ishikari-Tobetsu, Hokkaido 061-0293 (Japan); Hisamichi, Yohsuke [Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Ishikari-Tobetsu, Hokkaido 061-0293 (Japan); Minoshima, Yasuhiko [Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Ishikari-Tobetsu, Hokkaido 061-0293 (Japan); Haraguchi, Koichi [Daiichi College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 22-1 Tamagawa-Cho, Minami-Ku, Fukuoka 815-8511 (Japan); Kakumoto, Chiharu [Marine Wildlife Center of JAPAN - Incorporated Non Profit Organization/NPO, 1-35-103, N21W6 Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0021 (Japan); Kobayashi, Mari [Marine Wildlife Center of JAPAN - Incorporated Non Profit Organization/NPO, 1-35-103, N21W6 Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0021 (Japan)

2006-11-15

Total mercury (T-Hg) and selenium (Se) concentrations in liver, kidney and muscle from a pod of killer whales including five mature females and three calves stranded in the northern area of Japan were analyzed. In the mature female, contamination level of T-Hg in the liver sample (62.2 {+-} 21.9 {mu}g/wet g) was markedly higher than that in kidney sample and muscle sample. The molar ratio of T-Hg to Se in the liver sample was approximately 1, and those in the kidney and muscle samples were markedly lower than 1. These results suggest that the formation of HgSe compound increases the hepatic accumulation of mercury (Hg). In contrast, contamination level of T-Hg in the calf organs was much lower than that in the mature female organs. These results suggest that the transfer of Hg from the mother to the fetus via placenta and/or to calf via milk is trace. - Total mercury, methyl mercury and selenium concentrations in liver, kidney and muscle from a pod of killer whales stranded in the northern area of Japan were analyzed.

Levels of Mercury in Persian Gulf Frozen Fish Species

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Parisa Ziarati

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Severe discharge of sewage and industrial effluents into the Persian Gulf leads to the deposition of various types of heavy metals, especially lead and mercury, in the muscles of fish. Total mercury and methylmercury contents were determined in the edible parts (muscle tissue, fillet of two different most popular frozen fish species from the Persian Gulf to ascertain whether the concentrations exceeded the maximum level fixed by the European Commission or not. During the period from October 2015 to June 2016, a total of 150 frozen fish packaged samples were randomly collected from the recognized supermarkets in Tehran province, Iran. The mercury (Hg concentration of samples was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer using a mercuric hydride system (MHS 10 and also by direct mercury analyzer (DMA. High concentration of total Hg was found in a Carcharhinus dussumie brand (0.91 ± 0.12 μg/g while the lowest level was detected in Pomadasys furcatus (0.29 ± 0.02 μg/g. In current study the mean concentrations of Mercury in all studied frozen fish samples were 0.79 ± 0.11 µg/g that means Hg levels were above 0.5 μg/g, which is the maximum standard level recommended by Joint FAO/WHO/Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA. In 13% of Pomadasys and in 47.2 % of Carcharhinus fish samples total mercury concentrations exceeded the maximum level fixed by the European Commission. All samples had also mean Hg concentrations that exceeded EPA's established safety level of 0.3 μg/g.

Aerobic Mercury-resistant bacteria alter Mercury speciation and retention in the Tagus Estuary (Portugal).

Science.gov (United States)

Figueiredo, Neusa L; Canário, João; O'Driscoll, Nelson J; Duarte, Aida; Carvalho, Cristina

2016-02-01

Aerobic mercury-resistant bacteria were isolated from the sediments of two highly mercury-polluted areas of the Tagus Estuary (Barreiro and Cala do Norte) and one natural reserve area (Alcochete) in order to test their capacity to transform mercury. Bacterial species were identified using 16S rRNA amplification and sequencing techniques and the results indicate the prevalence of Bacillus sp. Resistance patterns to mercurial compounds were established by the determination of minimal inhibitory concentrations. Representative Hg-resistant bacteria were further tested for transformation pathways (reduction, volatilization and methylation) in cultures containing mercury chloride. Bacterial Hg-methylation was carried out by Vibrio fluvialis, Bacillus megaterium and Serratia marcescens that transformed 2-8% of total mercury into methylmercury in 48h. In addition, most of the HgR bacterial isolates showed Hg(2+)-reduction andHg(0)-volatilization resulting 6-50% mercury loss from the culture media. In summary, the results obtained under controlled laboratory conditions indicate that aerobic Hg-resistant bacteria from the Tagus Estuary significantly affect both the methylation and reduction of mercury and may have a dual face by providing a pathway for pollution dispersion while forming methylmercury, which is highly toxic for living organisms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Total mercury, cadmium and lead levels in main export fish of Sri Lanka.

Science.gov (United States)

Jinadasa, B K K K; Edirisinghe, E M R K B; Wickramasinghe, I

2014-01-01

Total mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) levels were determined in the muscle of four commercialised exported fish species Thunnus albacares (yellowfin tuna), Xiphias gladius (swordfish), Makaira indica (black marlin) and Lutjanus sp (red snapper) collected from the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka, during July 2009-March 2010 and measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results show that swordfish (n = 176) contained the highest total Hg (0.90 ± 0.51 mg/kg) and Cd (0.09 ± 0.13 mg/kg) levels, whereas yellowfin tuna (n = 140) contained the highest Pb levels (0.11 ± 0.16 mg/kg). The lowest total Hg (0.16 ± 0.11 mg/kg), Cd (0.01 ± 0.01 mg/kg) and Pb (0.04 ± 0.04 mg/kg) levels were found in red snapper (n = 28). Black marlin (n = 24) contained moderate levels of total Hg (0.49 ± 0.37), Cd (0.02 ± 0.02) and Pb (0.05 ± 0.05). Even though there are some concerns during certain months of the year, this study demonstrates the safety of main export fish varieties in terms of total Hg, Cd and Pb.

Total Mercury and Methylmercury Contamination in Fish from Sites along the Elbe River

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P. Maršálek

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to evaluate total mercury Hg and methylmercury MeHg contamination in muscle tissues of fish collected in 2002 from the Labe (Elbe river at sites upstream of Pardubice and downstream of Pardubice and Hřensko, and in 2004 from the Labe river upstream and downstream of the Spolana factory in Neratovice, and from the Vltava river downstream of Lenora. Eighty eight fish of the following species were sampled: bream (Abramis brama L., perch (Perca fluviatilis L., chub (Leuciscus cephalus L. and barbel (Barbus barbus L.. Total mercury content in chub, perch and bream was in the range of 0.05 - 1.96 mg kg-1 w.w., 0. 09 - 1.46 mg kg-1 w.w. and 0.35 - 0.82 mg kg-1 w.w., respectively. Methylmercury content in chub, perch and bream was in the range of 0.04 - 2.11 mg kg-1 w.w., 0.1 - 1.73 mg kg-1 w.w. and 0.371 - 0.650 mg kg-1 w.w., respectively. Significant correlation (p p < 0.05 between THg and MeHg contents were found between individual sites. In 2002, for example, the most contaminated fish were found downstream of Pardubice, followed by fish from upstream of Pardubice and from Hřensko. In 2004, fish from downstream and upstream of the Spolana factory in Neratovice were more contaminated than fish from the Vltava river downstream of Lenora. The methylmercury-tototal mercury ratio in muscle tissue was close to 1.0.

Determination of trace mercury in water based on N-octylpyridinium ionic liquids preconcentration and stripping voltammetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhenhan; Xia, Shanhong; Wang, Jinfen; Bian, Chao; Tong, Jianhua

2016-01-15

A novel method for determination of trace mercury in water is developed. The method is performed by extracting mercury firstly with ionic liquids (ILs) and then detecting the concentration of mercury in organic media with anodic stripping voltammetry. Liquid-liquid extraction of mercury(II) ions by four ionic liquids with N-octylpyridinium cations ([OPy](+)) was studied. N-octylpyridinium tetrafluoroborate and N-octylpyridinium trifluoromethylsulfonate were found to be efficient and selective extractant for mercury. Temperature controlled dispersive liquid phase microextraction (TC-DLPME) technique was utilized to improve the performance of preconcentration. After extraction, precipitated IL was diluted by acetonitrile buffer and mercury was detected by differential pulse stripping voltammetry (DPSV) with gold disc electrode. Mercury was enriched by 17 times while interfering ions were reduced by two orders of magnitude in the organic media under optimum condition. Sensitivity and selectivity for electrochemical determination of mercury were improved by using the proposed method. Tap, pond and waste water samples were analyzed with recoveries ranging from 81% to 107% and detection limit of 0.05 μg/L. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of Chemical States of Mercury on Activated Carbon Using XANES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takaoka, Masaki; Takeda, Nobuo; Oshita, Kazuyuki; Yamamoto, Takashi; Tanaka, Tsunehiro; Uruga, Tomoya

2007-01-01

Although the adsorption of mercury vapor onto activated carbon is a widely used technology to prevent environmental release, the adsorption mechanism is not clearly understood. In this study, we determined the chemical states of mercury on two kinds of activated carbon using X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) to elucidate the adsorption mechanism. The adsorption experiments of elemental mercury onto activated carbon were conducted under air and nitrogen atmospheres at temperatures of 20 and 160 deg. C. Two types of activated carbon were prepared. X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements were carried out on beamline BL01B1 at SPring-8. Hg-LIII edge XANES spectra suggested that chemical adsorption of elemental mercury on the activated carbon occurred in the 20-160 deg. C temperature range. According to the XANES spectra, a difference occurred in the chemical states of mercury between AC no. 1 and AC no. 2. The Hg XANES spectra on AC no. 1 were similar to those of Hg2Cl2 and HgS, and the Hg XANES spectra on AC no. 2 were similar to that of HgO, which suggested that nitric acid treatment removed sulfur from AC no. 1 and functional groups that were strong oxidizers on the surface of AC no. 2 created HgO. According to the EXAFS oscillation, a difference occurred in the chemical states of mercury on AC no. 1 between 20 and 160 deg. C. We found that impurities and oxidant functional groups on activated carbon play key roles in mercury adsorption

Determination of Mercury (II Ion on Aryl Amide-Type Podand-Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

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Sevgi Güney

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A new voltammetric sensor based on an aryl amide type podand, 1,8-bis(o-amidophenoxy-3,6-dioxaoctane, (AAP modified glassy carbon electrode, was described for the determination of trace level of mercury (II ion by cyclic voltammetry (CV and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV. A well-defined anodic peak corresponding to the oxidation of mercury on proposed electrode was obtained at 0.2 V versus Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The effect of experimental parameters on differential voltammetric peak currents was investigated in acetate buffer solution of pH 7.0 containing 1 × 10−1 mol L−1 NaCl. Mercury (II ion was preconcentrated at the modified electrode by forming complex with AAP under proper conditions and then reduced on the surface of the electrode. Interferences of Cu2+, Pb2+, Fe3+, Cd2+, and Zn2+ ions were also studied at two different concentration ratios with respect to mercury (II ions. The modified electrode was applied to the determination of mercury (II ions in seawater sample.

Determination of mercury species in biological samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry combined with solvent extraction and ultrasonication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, J.; Li, Y.F.; Wang, J.X.; Chen, C.Y.; Li, B.; Gao, Y.X.; Chai, Z.F.

2005-01-01

Mercury (Hg) is a well-known toxic element. The toxic effects of Hg depend on its chemical forms. The most important chemical forms are elemental Hg (Hg 0 ), inorganic Hg (Hg 2+ ) and methylmercury (CH 3 Hg + ). In the biogeochemical cycle of Hg, these species may interchange in atmospheric, aquatic and terrestrial environments. Among them, methylmercury is considerably higher toxic than elemental mercury and inorganic mercury because it is recognized as one of major health hazards for human due to its teratogenic, immunotoxic, and neurotoxic effects. Therefore, determinations of not only total mercury, but also methylmercury content in biological samples is necessary. In large numbers of analytical methods, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) using conventional sample introduction with a peristaltic pump is widely used for the determination of trace metals in a wide variety of different sample matrices. ICP-MS can offer high sensitivity, low detection limit, reasonable accuracy and precision, and can easily be automated. However, mercury is considered as an element with analytical problems. One problem is well known in Hg analysis that the memory effect increases the blank counts and worsens the analytical performance of ICP-MS. The possibility of Hg losses during sample decomposition procedure due to its volatility is another important issue. Additionally, its high first ionization potential and numerous isotopes have limited its sensitivity in ICP-MS analysis. In order to solve the above questions, the present work was carried out to develop a method based on ICP-MS coupled with solvent extraction for determination of mercury species in biological samples. At first step, we investigated different solvent extraction methods including acid leaching, CuSO 4 extraction, alkaline-methanol extraction, and surfactant extraction with ultrasonication for methylmercury determination using the certified reference materials GBW07601 (Human Hair). Next, we

Ultraviolet absorbance as a proxy for total dissolved mercury in streams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dittman, Jason A.; Shanley, James B.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Aiken, George R.; Chalmers, Ann T.; Towse, Janet E.

2009-01-01

Stream water samples were collected over a range of hydrologic and seasonal conditions at three forested watersheds in the northeastern USA. Samples were analyzed for dissolved total mercury (THg d ), DOC concentration and DOC composition, and UV 254 absorbance across the three sites over different seasons and flow conditions. Pooling data from all sites, we found a strong positive correlation of THg d to DOC (r 2 = 0.87), but progressively stronger correlations of THg d with the hydrophobic acid fraction (HPOA) of DOC (r 2 = 0.91) and with UV 254 absorbance (r 2 = 0.92). The strength of the UV 254 absorbance-THg d relationship suggests that optical properties associated with dissolved organic matter may be excellent proxies for THg d concentration in these streams. Ease of sample collection and analysis, the potential application of in-situ optical sensors, and the possibility for intensive monitoring over the hydrograph make this an effective, inexpensive approach to estimate THg d flux in drainage waters. - Ultraviolet absorbance measurements are a cost-effective proxy to estimate dissolved mercury concentration in stream water.

Total Mercury content of skin toning creams

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

2008-04-01

Apr 1, 2008 ... Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology,. Kumasi, Ghana. ABSTRACT. The use of mercury containing skin toning creams is becoming ..... Country of Origin. Colour. Aleo Whitening Milk. 0.013. China. White.

A rugged and transferable method for determining blood cadmium, mercury, and lead with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McShane, William J.; Pappas, R. Steven; Wilson-McElprang, Veronica; Paschal, Dan

2008-01-01

A simple, high-throughput method for determining total cadmium, mercury, and lead in blood in cases of suspected exposure, using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), has been developed and validated. One part matrix-matched standards, blanks, or aliquots of blood specimens were diluted with 49 parts of a solution containing 0.25% (w/w) tetramethylammonium hydroxide; 0.05% v/v Triton X-100 (blood cell membranes and protein solubilization); 0.01% (w/v) ammonium pyrolidinedithiocarbamate (mercury memory effect prevention and oxidation state stabilization, solubilization by complexation of all three metals); 1% v/v isopropanol (signal enhancement); and 10 μg/L iridium (internal standard). Thus the final dilution factor is 1 + 49. The method provides the basis for the determination of total cadmium, mercury, and lead for assessment of environmental, occupational, accidental ingestion or elevated exposures from other means. Approximately 80 specimens, including blanks, calibration standards, and quality control materials can be processed in an 8-h day. The method has been evaluated by examining reference materials from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, as well as by participation in six rounds of proficiency testing intercomparisons led by the Wadsworth Center of the New York State Department of Health. This method was developed for the purpose of increasing U.S. emergency response laboratory capacity. To this end, 33 U.S. state, and 1 district health department laboratories have validated this method in their own laboratories

A rugged and transferable method for determining blood cadmium, mercury, and lead with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McShane, William J. [Battelle-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Laboratory Sciences, Emergency Response and Air Toxicants Branch, 4770 Buford Highway, MS F-44, Atlanta, GA 30341 (United States)], E-mail: WMcShane@cdc.gov; Pappas, R. Steven [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Laboratory Sciences, Emergency Response and Air Toxicants, 4770 Buford Highway, MS F-44, Atlanta, GA 30341 (United States)], E-mail: RPappas@cdc.gov; Wilson-McElprang, Veronica [Battelle-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Laboratory Sciences, Emergency Response and Air Toxicants Branch, 4770 Buford Highway, MS F-44, Atlanta, GA 30341 (United States)], E-mail: VWilsonMcelprang@cdc.gov; Paschal, Dan [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Laboratory Sciences, Emergency Response and Air Toxicants, 4770 Buford Highway, MS F-44, Atlanta, GA 30341 (United States)], E-mail: DPaschal@cdc.gov

2008-06-15

A simple, high-throughput method for determining total cadmium, mercury, and lead in blood in cases of suspected exposure, using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), has been developed and validated. One part matrix-matched standards, blanks, or aliquots of blood specimens were diluted with 49 parts of a solution containing 0.25% (w/w) tetramethylammonium hydroxide; 0.05% v/v Triton X-100 (blood cell membranes and protein solubilization); 0.01% (w/v) ammonium pyrolidinedithiocarbamate (mercury memory effect prevention and oxidation state stabilization, solubilization by complexation of all three metals); 1% v/v isopropanol (signal enhancement); and 10 {mu}g/L iridium (internal standard). Thus the final dilution factor is 1 + 49. The method provides the basis for the determination of total cadmium, mercury, and lead for assessment of environmental, occupational, accidental ingestion or elevated exposures from other means. Approximately 80 specimens, including blanks, calibration standards, and quality control materials can be processed in an 8-h day. The method has been evaluated by examining reference materials from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, as well as by participation in six rounds of proficiency testing intercomparisons led by the Wadsworth Center of the New York State Department of Health. This method was developed for the purpose of increasing U.S. emergency response laboratory capacity. To this end, 33 U.S. state, and 1 district health department laboratories have validated this method in their own laboratories.

Methods for measuring specific rates of mercury methylation and degradation and their use in determining factors controlling net rates of mercury methylation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramlal, P.S.; Rudd, J.W.M.; Hecky, R.E.

1986-01-01

A method was developed to estimate specific rates of demethylation of methyl mercury in aquatic samples by measuring the volatile 14 C end products of 14 CH 3 HgI demethylation. This method was used in conjuction with a 203 Hg 2+ radiochemical method which determines specific rates of mercury methylation. Together, these methods enabled us to examine some factors controlling the net rate of mercury methylation. The methodologies were field tested, using lake sediment samples from a recently flooded reservoir in the Southern Indian Lake system which had developed a mercury contamination problem in fish. Ratios of the specific rates of methylation/demethylation were calculated. The highest ratios of methylation/demethylation were calculated. The highest ratios of methylation/demethylation occurred in the flooded shorelines of Southern Indian Lake. These results provide an explanation for the observed increases in the methyl mercury concentrations in fish after flooding

Laboratory-scale evaluation of various sampling and analytical methods for determining mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agbede, R.O.; Bochan, A.J.; Clements, J.L. [Advanced Technology Systems, Inc., Monroeville, PA (United States)] [and others

1995-11-01

Comparative bench-scale mercury sampling method tests were performed at the Advanced Technology Systems, Inc. (ATS) laboratories for EPA Method 101A, EPA Method 29 and the Ontario Hydro Method. Both blank and impinger spiking experiments were performed. The experimental results show that the ambient level of mercury in the ATS laboratory is at or below the detection limit (10 ng Hg) as measured by a cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometer (CVAAS) which was used to analyze the mercury samples. From the mercury spike studies, the following observations and findings were made. (a) The recovery of mercury spikes using EPA Method 101A was 104%. (b) The Ontario Hydro Method retains about 90% of mercury spikes in the first absorbing solution but has a total spike retention of 106%. As a result, the test data shows possible migration of spiked mercury from the first impinger solution (KCI) to the permanganate impingers. (c) For the EPA Method 29 solutions, when only the peroxide impingers were spiked, mercury recoveries were 65.6% for the peroxide impingers, 0.1% for the knockout impinger and 32.8% for the permanganate impingers with an average total mercury recovery of 98.4%. At press time, data was still being obtained for both the peroxide and permanganate impinger solution spikes. This and other data will be available at the presentation.

Species differences in total mercury concentration in gulls from the Gulf of Gdansk (Southern Baltic).

Science.gov (United States)

Szumiło-Pilarska, Emilia; Grajewska, Agnieszka; Falkowska, Lucyna; Hajdrych, Julia; Meissner, Włodzimierz; Frączek, Tomasz; Bełdowska, Magdalena; Bzoma, Szymon

2016-01-01

Aquatic birds occupy a high position in the trophic pyramid of the Baltic Sea. This means that they accumulate the greatest amount of harmful substances, including mercury, in their bodies. This element penetrates into their systems mainly via the alimentary canal. The amount of mercury absorbed from food depends on how badly the environment is polluted with this metal. The aim of this study was to discover the concentrations of total mercury (HgT) in the contour feathers, muscles, brain, lungs, liver, kidneys, heart and blood of four gull species Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), Common Gull (Larus canus), Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) and Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) and organic mercury (Hgorg) in the liver and brain of Herring Gull. The most important characteristic of the results obtained for the studied gulls was the statistically significant differences between the four species, probably resulting from their different diets-confirmed by stable-isotopes analysis (δ(15)N and δ(13)C). A logarithmic dependence was found between HgT in the blood and HgT in the brain of the Herring Gull. The authors suggest that among gulls burdened with the greatest mercury load, it is possible that the brain is protected by higher Hg accumulation in the muscles. The percentage share of Hgorg in the brain and liver of the Herring Gull depended on the concentration of HgT in these tissues and was always higher in the brain. In none of the cases, did the mercury levels assayed in the internal gulls' tissues exceed values associated with adverse health effects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Mercury levels of marine fish commonly consumed in Peninsular Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Nurul Izzah; Noh, Mohd Fairulnizal Mohd; Mahiyuddin, Wan Rozita Wan; Jaafar, Hamdan; Ishak, Ismail; Azmi, Wan Nurul Farah Wan; Veloo, Yuvaneswary; Hairi, Mohd Hairulhisam

2015-03-01

This study was conducted to determine the concentration of total mercury in the edible portion of 46 species of marine fish (n = 297) collected from selected major fish landing ports and wholesale markets throughout Peninsular Malaysia. Samples were collected in June to December 2009. Prior to analysis, the fish samples were processed which consisted of drying at 65 °C until a constant weight was attained; then, it was grounded and digested by a microwave digestion system. The analytical determination was carried out by using a mercury analysis system. Total mercury concentration among fish species was examined. The results showed that mercury concentrations were found significantly higher (p mercury concentrations were also higher in carnivorous fish especially in the species with more predatory feeding habits. Besides, the family group of Latidae (0.537 ± 0.267 mg/kg in dried weight), Dasyatidae (0.492 ± 0.740 mg/kg in dried weight), and Lutjanidae (0.465 ± 0.566 mg/kg in dried weight) showed significantly (p mercury levels compared to other groups. Fish collected from Port Klang (0.563 ± 0.509 mg/kg in dry weight), Kuala Besar (0.521 ± 0.415 mg/kg in dry weight), and Pandan (0.380 ± 0.481 mg/kg in dry weight) were significantly higher (p = 0.014) in mercury concentrations when compared to fish from other sampling locations. Total mercury levels were significantly higher (p 20 cm) and were positively related with fish size (length and weight) in all fish samples. Despite the results, the level of mercury in marine fish did not exceed the permitted levels of Malaysian and JECFA guideline values at 0.5 mg/kg methylmercury in fish.

Iron telluride nanorods-based system for the detection of total mercury in blood

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roy, Prathik; Lin, Zong-Hong [Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Liang, Chi-Te [Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Chang, Huan-Tsung, E-mail: changht@ntu.edu.tw [Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China)

2012-12-15

Graphical abstract: Elucidation of the detection of mercury using iron telluride nanorods (FeTe NRs), and dose-response curve for varying concentrations of Hg{sup 2+}. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Iron telluride nanorods (FeTe NRs) are prepared from tellurium nanowires (Te NWs). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mercury telluride nanorods (HgTe NRs) form by cation exchange reaction of FeTe NRs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Fe{sup 2+} ions released catalyze the oxidation of ABTS by H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mercury is effectively determined in blood with an LOD of 1.31 nM at S/N ratio 3. - Abstract: We have developed a simple, colorimetric iron telluride (FeTe) nanorods (NRs) based system for the detection of mercury, mainly based on the cation exchange reaction between FeTe NRs and Hg{sup 2+}. FeTe NRs (length, 105 {+-} 21 nm) react with Hg{sup 2+} to form HgTe NRs (length, 112 {+-} 26 nm) and consequently release Fe{sup 2+} ions that catalyzes the oxidation between a peroxidase substrate 2,2 Prime -azino-bis(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) and H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. The concentration of Fe{sup 2+} and thereby Hg{sup 2+} can be determined by measuring the absorbance of the ABTS oxidized product at 418 nm. This approach allows the detection of Hg{sup 2+}, with a limit of detection of 1.31 nM at a signal-to-noise ratio 3 and a linear range 5-100 nM (R{sup 2} = 0.99). The low-cost, simple, sensitive, and reproducible assay has been validated for the detection of Hg{sup 2+} in a blood sample (SRM 955c), with the result being in good agreement with that provided by National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Blood Mercury Level and Its Determinants among Dental Practitioners in Hamadan, Iran

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M. Vahedi

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: Exposure to mercury can occur in occupational and environmental settings.During clinical work with dental amalgam, the dental personnel are exposed to both metallic mercury and mercury vapor. The aim of the present study was to investigate bloodmercury level (BML and its determinants among dentists practicing in Hamadan city,Iran.Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was done on all dental practitioners of Hamadan (n=43. Dentists were asked to complete a questionnaire, and then 5 ml bloodsamples were obtained from them. After preparation, mercury concentration of each sample was measured by cold vapor atomic absorption device. Pearson correlation test and regression models served for statistical analysis.Results: The mean blood concentration of mercury was 6.3 μg/l (SD=1.31 range 4.15-8.93. BML was positively associated with age, years in practice, working hours per day,number of amalgam restorations per day, number of amalgam removal per week, sea foodconsumption, working years in present office, using amalgam powder, using diamond bur for amalgam removal, dry sterilization of amalgam contaminated instruments, and deficient air ventilation.Conclusion: BML of dentists in Hamadan was higher than standards. Working hours and number of amalgam restorations per day were significantly correlated with blood mercury.

Complexo-potentiometric determination of mercury (II) in chlormerodrin and mercuric chloride labelled with radioactive mercury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duek, E.E.

1976-09-01

A method is described for determining the amount of mercury (II) in radioactively labelled chlormerodrin and mercuric chloride. By measuring the absolute activity in an ionization chamber, the specific activity is therefore immediately obtained. The determination of Hg (II) is based on a complexometric titration. Because of method characteristics and speed convenience, the end point is observed by means of a pH-meter. A comparison is made with a determination performed by detecting the end point with color-change indicators. The error is estimated, and the results are statistically interpreted. (author) [es

Flow Injection Photochemical Vapor Generation Coupled with Miniaturized Solution-Cathode Glow Discharge Atomic Emission Spectrometry for Determination and Speciation Analysis of Mercury.

Science.gov (United States)

Mo, Jiamei; Li, Qing; Guo, Xiaohong; Zhang, Guoxia; Wang, Zheng

2017-10-03

A novel, compact, and green method was developed for the determination and speciation analysis of mercury, based on flow injection photochemical vapor generation (PVG) coupled with miniaturized solution cathode glow discharge-atomic emission spectroscopy (SCGD-AES). The SCGD was generated between a miniature hollow titanium tube and a solution emerging from a glass capillary. Cold mercury vapor (Hg(0)) was generated by PVG and subsequently delivered to the SCGD for excitation, and finally the emission signals were recorded by a miniaturized spectrograph. The detection limits (DLs) of Hg(II) and methylmercury (MeHg) were both determined to be 0.2 μg L -1 . Moreover, mercury speciation analysis could also be performed by using different wavelengths and powers from the UV lamp and irradiation times. Both Hg(II) and MeHg can be converted to Hg(0) for the determination of total mercury (T-Hg) with 8 W/254 nm UV lamp and 60 s irradiation time; while only Hg(II) can be reduced to Hg(0) and determined selectively with 4 W/365 nm UV lamp and 20 s irradiation time. Then, the concentration of MeHg can be calculated by subtracting the Hg(II) from the T-Hg. Because of its similar sensitivity and DL at 8 W/254 nm, the simpler and less toxic Hg(II) was used successfully as a primary standard for the quantification of T-Hg. The novel PVG-SCGD-AES system provides not only a 365-fold improvement in the DL for Hg(II) but also a nonchromatographic method for the speciation analysis of mercury. After validating its accuracy, this method was successfully used for mercury speciation analysis of water and biological samples.

Mercury Hair Concentration among Primary School Children in Malaysia

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Nurul Izzah Abdul Samad

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The main concern regarding mercury exposure is the adverse health effect on the developing nervous system. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine hair mercury levels and their association with socio-demographic characteristics, complaints about mercury poisoning symptoms and the fish consumption pattern among children in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 215 school children aged 11 years old. Hair was collected from the children and the total mercury was analyzed using oxygen combustion–gold amalgamation atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Anthropometric data, a fish consumption questionnaire and mercury poisoning symptoms were collected during a personal interview. The mean hair mercury level among primary school children was 0.63 ± 0.59 µg/g with the geometric mean of 0.47 µg/g. A total of 14% of respondents had hair mercury levels above 1 µg/g. A multiple binary logistic regression analysis outlined that fish consumption of at least one meal per week increased the likelihood of having a high mercury level (odds ratio (OR 3.7, 95% confidence interval (CI 1.3–10.4. This study confirms the existence of a mercury burden among Malaysian children and the level is high compared to other regional studies. This study provides important baseline data regarding the mercury level among children in Malaysia.

On-line preconcentration and determination of mercury in biological and environmental samples by cold vapor-atomic absorption spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrua, N.; Cerutti, S.; Salonia, J.A.; Olsina, R.A.; Martinez, L.D.

2007-01-01

An on-line procedure for the determination of traces of total mercury in environmental and biological samples is described. The present methodology combines cold vapor generation associated to atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS) with preconcentration of the analyte on a minicolumn packed with activated carbon. The retained analyte was quantitatively eluted from the minicolumn with nitric acid. After that, volatile specie of mercury was generated by merging the acidified sample and sodium tetrahydroborate(III) in a continuous flow system. The gaseous analyte was subsequently introduced via a stream of Ar carrier into the atomizer device. Optimizations of both, preconcentration and mercury volatile specie generation variables were carried out using two level full factorial design (2 3 ) with 3 replicates of the central point. Considering a sample consumption of 25 mL, an enrichment factor of 13-fold was obtained. The detection limit (3σ) was 10 ng L -1 and the precision (relative standard deviation) was 3.1% (n = 10) at the 5 μg L -1 level. The calibration curve using the preconcentration system for mercury was linear with a correlation coefficient of 0.9995 at levels near the detection limit up to at least 1000 μg L -1 . Satisfactory results were obtained for the analysis of mercury in tap water and hair samples

Application of sodium carbonate prevents sulphur poisoning of catalysts in automated total mercury analysis

Science.gov (United States)

McLagan, David S.; Huang, Haiyong; Lei, Ying D.; Wania, Frank; Mitchell, Carl P. J.

2017-07-01

Analysis of high sulphur-containing samples for total mercury content using automated thermal decomposition, amalgamation, and atomic absorption spectroscopy instruments (USEPA Method 7473) leads to rapid and costly SO2 poisoning of catalysts. In an effort to overcome this issue, we tested whether the addition of powdered sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) to the catalyst and/or directly on top of sample material increases throughput of sulphur-impregnated (8-15 wt%) activated carbon samples per catalyst tube. Adding 5 g of Na2CO3 to the catalyst alone only marginally increases the functional lifetime of the catalyst (31 ± 4 g of activated carbon analyzed per catalyst tube) in relation to unaltered catalyst of the AMA254 total mercury analyzer (17 ± 4 g of activated carbon). Adding ≈ 0.2 g of Na2CO3 to samples substantially increases (81 ± 17 g of activated carbon) catalyst life over the unaltered catalyst. The greatest improvement is achieved by adding Na2CO3 to both catalyst and samples (200 ± 70 g of activated carbon), which significantly increases catalyst performance over all other treatments and enables an order of magnitude greater sample throughput than the unaltered samples and catalyst. It is likely that Na2CO3 efficiently sequesters SO2, even at high furnace temperatures to produce Na2SO4 and CO2, largely negating the poisonous impact of SO2 on the catalyst material. Increased corrosion of nickel sampling boats resulting from this methodological variation is easily resolved by substituting quartz boats. Overall, this variation enables an efficient and significantly more affordable means of employing automated atomic absorption spectrometry instruments for total mercury analysis of high-sulphur matrices.

[Mercury in the hair of pregnant and lactating Chilean mothers].

Science.gov (United States)

Bruhn, C G; Rodríguez, A A; Barrios, C A; Jaramillo, V H; Gras, N T; Becerra, J; Núñez, E; Reyes, O C

1995-11-01

Mercury-containing industrial waste has been released into the coastal waters of the Eighth Region of Chile for around two decades. This study, carried out from 1991 to 1993, sought to measure mercury concentrations in the hair of pregnant and lactating women from villages near the coast and in the interior of the region in order to examine the relationship between the concentration of mercury and seafood consumption. The survey questionnaire used in 1991 to determine seafood consumption did not ask about the frequency of consumption of fish, shellfish, and algae but only whether the women who were pregnant or breast-feeding consumed a minimum of one fish-based meal per week. The questionnaire used in 1992 and 1993 asked about the daily and weekly consumption of seafood in general (fish, shellfish, and algae). Spectrophotometry was used to determine the total mercury concentration in samples of 100 mg of hair from 153 pregnant and lactating women in 11 fishing villages of the Eighth Region where seafood is regularly consumed. None of the women had occupational exposure to mercury. Total mercury concentration was also determined in hair samples from a control group composed of 26 pregnant and lactating women from Pinto and El Carmen, villages in the interior of the same region where seafood was rarely eaten. The arithmetic mean of the total mercury concentration in hair was 1.81 mg/kg of body weight for the study group (standard deviation [SD] 1.52) and 0.42 mg/kg for the control group (SD 0.15)--a statistically significant difference (P mercury concentration in hair was significantly higher in women who indicated that they ate fish seven or more times per week; in those who said they ate fish, shellfish, or algae five or more times per week; and in those who had lived 20 or more years in their village. No statistically significant differences were found when the results were analyzed by age.

Searching for the Source of Salt Marsh Buried Mercury.

Science.gov (United States)

Brooke, C. G.; Nelson, D. C.; Fleming, E. J.

2016-12-01

Salt marshes provide a barrier between upstream mercury contamination and coastal ecosystems. Mercury is sorbed, transported, and deposited in estuarine systems. Once the upstream mercury source has been remediated, the downstream mercury contaminated salt marsh sediments should become "capped" or buried by uncontaminated sediments preventing further ecosystem contamination. Downstream from a remediated mercury mine, an estuarine intertidal marsh in Tomales Bay, CA, USA, scavengers/predators (e.g. Pachygrapsus crassipes, Lined Shore Crab) have leg mercury concentrations as high as 5.5 ppm (dry wt./dry wt.), which increase significantly with crab size, a surrogate for trophic level. These elevated mercury concentrations suggests that "buried" mercury is rereleased into the environment. To locate possible sources of mercury release in Walker Marsh, we sampled a transect across the marsh that included diverse micro-environments (e.g. rhizoshere, stratified sediments, faunal burrows). From each location we determined the sediment structure, sediment color, total sediment mercury, total sediment iron, and microbial composition (n = 28). Where flora or fauna had perturbed the sediment, mercury concentrations were 10% less than undisturbed stratified sediments (1025 ppb vs. 1164 ppb, respectively). High-throughput SSU rRNA gene sequencing and subsequent co-occurrence network analysis genera indicated that in flora- or fauna- perturbed sediments there was an increased likelihood that microbial genera contained mercury mobilizing genes (94% vs 57%; in perturbed vs stratified sediments, respectively). Our observations are consistent with findings by others that in perturbed sites mercury mobility increased. We did however identify a microbial and geochemical profile with increased mercury mobility. For future work we plan to quantify the role these micro-environments have on mercury-efflux from salt marshes.

Total mercury and methyl-mercury contents and accumulation in polar microbial mats.

Science.gov (United States)

Camacho, Antonio; Rochera, Carlos; Hennebelle, Raphaëlle; Ferrari, Christophe; Quesada, Antonio

2015-03-15

Although polar regions are considered isolated and pristine areas, the organisms that inhabit these zones are exposed to global pollution. Heavy metals, such as mercury, are global pollutants and can reach almost any location on Earth. Mercury may come from natural, volcanic or geological sources, or result from anthropogenic sources, in particular industrial or mining activities. In this study, we have investigated one of the most prominent biological non-marine communities in both polar regions, microbial mats, in terms of their Hg and methyl-mercury (MeHg) concentrations and accumulation capacities. The main hypotheses posed argued on the importance of different factors, and to test them, we have measured Hg concentrations in microbial mats that were collected from 6 locations in different ecological situations. For this purpose, the direct anthropogenic impacts, volcanic influences, proximity to the seashore, latitudinal gradients and C contents were investigated. Our results show that, other than the direct anthropogenic influence, none of the other hypotheses alone satisfactorily explains the Hg content in microbial mats. In contrast, the MeHg contents were noticeably different between the investigated locations, with a higher proportion of MeHg on the McMurdo Ice Shelf (Antarctica) and a lower proportion on Ward Hunt Island (High Arctic). Furthermore, our results from in situ experiments indicated that the microbial mats from South Shetland Islands could quickly accumulate (48 h) Hg when Hg dissolved salts were supplied. Over short-term periods, these mats do not transform Hg into MeHg under field conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Accumulation factors of mercury by King Bolete Boletus edulis

Science.gov (United States)

Falandysz, J.; Frankowska, A.

2003-05-01

To understand pollution picture with mercury and to examine suitability of King Bolete Boletits edulis Bull.: Fr. as possible bioindicator the total mercurv concentrations were determined both in the fruiting bodies and underlying soil substrate collected from various regions of Poland. There were quite large spatial variations of mercury concentration and some seasonal also were noted. Mercury content of the caps exceeded that of stalks (p<0.05), Nvhile Hg BCF values varied between 9 and 40, and 4 and 40, respectively.

Accumulation of total mercury and methylmercury in rice plants collected from different mining areas in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng, Mei; Li, Bing; Shao, Jun-juan; Wang, Thanh; He, Bin; Shi, Jian-bo; Ye, Zhi-hong; Jiang, Gui-bin

2014-01-01

A total of 155 rice plants were collected from ten mining areas in three provinces of China (Hunan, Guizhou and Guangdong), where most of mercury (Hg) mining takes place in China. During the harvest season, whole rice plants were sampled and divided into root, stalk and leaf, husk and seed (brown rice), together with soil from root zone. Although the degree of Hg contamination varied significantly among different mining areas, rice seed showed the highest ability for methylmercury (MeHg) accumulation. Both concentrations of total mercury (THg) and MeHg in rice plants were significantly correlated with Hg levels in soil, indicating soil is still an important source for both inorganic mercury (IHg) and MeHg in rice plants. The obvious discrepancy between the distribution patterns of THg and MeHg reflected different pathways of IHg and MeHg accumulation. Water soluble Hg may play more important role in MeHg accumulation in rice plants. -- Highlights: • Distribution patterns indicated different pathways of IHg and MeHg accumulation. • Soil is an important source for both THg and MeHg to rice plants. • Water soluble Hg may play more important role in MeHg accumulation in rice plants. -- The distribution patterns indicate different pathways of IHg and MeHg accumulation in rice plants

Application of neutron activation analysis to the determination of total mercury and other elements of interest in soil and sediment samples from Serra do Navio and Vila Nova River Basin, Amapa, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goncalves, Cristina

1997-01-01

In this work it is presented a survey on total mercury determination by a radiochemical method in sediment and soil samples from two regions, in the state of Amapa: Serra do Navio (background area) and Vila Nova river basin (gold mining area). The method consisted in leaching of the irradiated samples with acqua regia in a Parr bomb, and heating in microwave oven, for one minute. Then the solvent extraction technique was applied, using bismuth diethyldithiocarbamate (Bi(DDC) 3 ) as extractant agent. The organic phase, containing 197 Hg and 203 Hg radioisotopes, was measured in a gamma spectrometer with hyper pure Ge detector. This method eliminated the interference of the 279.54 keV photopeak of 75 Se on 279.2 keV photopeak of 203 Hg, besides improving counting statistics of both Hg radioisotopes. The elements As, Ba, Br, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, Ho, K, La, Lu, Mg, Mn, Na, Nd, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Ta, Tb, Th, Ti, U, V, W, Yb, Zn and Zr were also determined by the instrumental neutron activation analysis. Two irradiation series were carried out to quantify these elements in soil and sediment samples; a short term irradiation allowed to evaluate Mg, Mn, Na, Ti and V levels, and by long term irradiation, the other elements were determined. Precision and accuracy of radiochemical procedure were verified by means of analysis of the reference materials Buffalo River Sediment and Lake Sediment, for sediments and GXR-5, for soils. For the instrumental analysis, the reference materials Buffalo River Sediment, Soil 7, JB-1 and Oyster Tissue were used. The samples were also submitted to X ray diffraction, in Instituto de Geoscience-USP, to observe mercury behaviour with mineralogy. Aluminium concentration was determined by X ray fluorescence method, in the Department of Materials, IPEN/CNEN-SP, making possible enrichment factor calculation so that mercurial contamination in the gold mining area (Vila Nova river basin) could be evaluated. The mercury levels obtained in this

Total and methyl mercury concentrations and fluxes from small boreal forest catchments in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porvari, Petri; Verta, Matti

2003-01-01

Peatlands have higher methyl mercury output than uplands. - Total mercury (TotHg) and methyl mercury (MeHg) concentrations were studied in runoff from eight small (0.02-1.3 km 2 ) boreal forest catchments (mineral soil and peatland) during 1990-1995. Runoff waters were extremely humic (TOC 7-70 mg l -1 ). TotHg concentrations varied between 0.84 and 24 ng l -1 and MeHg between 0.03 and 3.8 ng l -1 . TotHg fluxes from catchments ranged from 0.92 to 1.8 g km -2 a -1 , and MeHg fluxes from 0.03 to 0.33 g km -2 a -1 . TotHg concentrations and output fluxes measured in runoff water from small forest catchments in Finland were comparable with those measured in other boreal regions. By contrast, MeHg concentrations were generally higher. Estimates for MeHg output fluxes in this study were comparable at sites with forests and wetlands in Sweden and North America, but clearly higher than those measured at upland or agricultural sites in other studies. Peatland catchments released more MeHg than pure mineral soil or mineral soil catchments with minor area of peatland

Health and environmental assessment of mercury exposure in a gold mining community in Western Mindanao, Philippines.

Science.gov (United States)

Cortes-Maramba, Nelia; Reyes, Jose Paciano; Francisco-Rivera, Ana Trinidad; Akagi, Hirokatsu; Sunio, Rose; Panganiban, Lynn Crisanta

2006-10-01

The small-scale gold mining activities using mercury began in the late 1980s in Sibutad, Western Mindanao. It is located very near the Murcielagos Bay with tailing ponds directly discharging into bodies of water. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the health and environmental effects of gold mining activities on the community. Residents were randomly selected and classified into two groups, namely, the directly exposed and indirectly exposed populations using a set inclusion criteria. Complete medical and laboratory examinations were performed. Environmental and biologic samples were collected for total mercury and methylmercury determinations. The results showed that the directly exposed group had significantly higher mean blood total mercury and methylmercury levels in comparison with the indirectly exposed population. Although there were no significant differences between hair total mercury and methylmercury levels, there was a trend for higher levels of these biomarkers among the directly exposed residents as compared with the unexposed group. The absence of statistically significant differences may be attributable to the small sample size. Ambient air quality monitoring for mercury exceeded the allowable levels. However, levels of mercury in drinking water and sediments were within allowable limits. Frequency of gastrointestinal complaints was significantly associated with elevated hair methylmercury levels (p=0.02). Also, there appears to be a trend towards higher blood total mercury levels and frequency of gastrointestinal complaints (p=0.09). An interesting finding in this study was the increasing incidence of elevated diastolic blood pressure with elevated hair total mercury levels (p=0.07). Mercury storage at home is a risk factor.

Mercury emission from crematories in Japan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Takaoka

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Anthropogenic sources of mercury emissions have a significant impact on global pollution. Therefore, finding uncharacterised sources and assessing the emissions from these sources are important. However, limited data are available worldwide on mercury emissions from crematories. In Japan, 99.9% of dead bodies are cremated, which is the highest percentage in the world, and more than 1600 crematories are in operation. We thus focused on emissions from crematories in Japan. The number of targeted facilities was seven, and we used continuous emission monitoring to measure the mercury concentrations and investigate mercury behaviour. The total mercury concentrations in stack gases were a few μg/Nm³ (normal cubic meters. Considering the time profile of mercury and its species in cremations, the findings confirmed that the mercury in stack gas originated from dental amalgam. The amount of mercury emissions was calculated using the total concentration and gas flow rate. Furthermore, the annual amount of mercury emission from crematories in Japan was estimated by using the total number of corpses. The emission amount was considerably lower than that estimated in the United Kingdom. From statistical analyses on population demographics and measurements, future total emissions from crematories were also predicted. As a result, the amount of mercury emitted by crematories will likely increase by 2.6-fold from 2007 to 2037.

Scalp hair and saliva as biomarkers in determination of mercury levels in Iranian women: Amalgam as a determinant of exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fakour, H., E-mail: fakour.h@gmail.com [Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Esmaili-Sari, A. [Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zayeri, F. [Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences and Proteomics Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2010-05-15

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between mercury concentrations in saliva and hair in women with amalgam fillings and its relation with age and number of amalgam fillings. Eighty-two hair and saliva samples were collected randomly from Iranian women who have the same fish consumption pattern and free from occupational exposures. The mean {+-} SD age of these women was 29.37 {+-} 8.12 (ranged from 20 to 56). The determination of Hg level in hair samples was carried out by the LECO, AMA 254, Advanced Mercury Analyzer according to ASTM, standard No. D-6722. Mercury concentration in saliva samples was analyzed by PERKIN-ELMER 3030 Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The mean {+-} SD mercury level in the women was 1.28 {+-} 1.38 {mu}g/g in hair and 4.14 {+-} 4.08 {mu}g/l in saliva; and there were positive correlation among them. A significant correlation was also observed between Hg level of saliva (Spearman's {rho} = 0.93, P < 0.001) and hair (Spearman's {rho} = 0.92, P < 0.001) with number of amalgam fillings. According to the results, we can conclude that amalgam fillings may be an effective source for high Hg concentration in hair and releasing the mercury to the saliva samples.

Determination of total mercury for marine environmental monitoring studies by solid sampling continuum source high resolution atomic absorption spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mandjukov, Petko; Orani, Anna Maria; Han, Eunmi; Vassileva, Emilia, E-mail: e.vasileva-veleva@iaea.org

2015-01-01

The most critical step in almost all commonly used analytical procedures for Hg determination is the sample preparation due to its extreme volatility. One of the possible solutions of this problem is the application of methods for direct analysis of solid samples. The possibilities for solid sampling high resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry (HR CS AAS) determination of total mercury in various marine environmental samples e.g. sediments and biota are object of the present study. The instrumental parameters were optimized in order to obtain reproducible and interference free analytical signal. A calibration technique based on the use of solid standard certified reference materials similar to the nature of the analyzed sample was developed and applied to various CRMs and real samples. This technique allows simple and reliable evaluation of the uncertainty of the result and the metrological characteristics of the method. A validation approach in line with the requirements of ISO 17025 standard and Eurachem guidelines was followed. With this in mind, selectivity, working range (0.06 to 25 ng for biota and 0.025 to 4 ng for sediment samples, expressed as total Hg) linearity (confirmed by Student's t-test), bias (1.6–4.3%), repeatability (4–9%), reproducibility (9–11%), and absolute limit of detection (0.025 ng for sediment, 0.096 ng for marine biota) were systematically assessed using solid CRMs. The relative expanded uncertainty was estimated at 15% for sediment sample and 8.5% for marine biota sample (k = 2). Demonstration of traceability of measurement results is also presented. The potential of the proposed analytical procedure, based on solid sampling HR CS AAS technique was demonstrated by direct analysis of sea sediments form the Caribbean region and various CRMs. Overall, the use of solid sampling HR CS AAS permits obtaining significant advantages for the determination of this complex analyte in marine samples, such as

Sensitive determination of trace mercury by UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy after complexation and membrane filtration-enrichment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Changhai; Iqbal, Jibran; Hu, Huilian; Liu, Bingxiang; Zhang, Lei; Zhu, Bilin; Du, Yiping

2012-09-30

A simple, sensitive and selective solid phase reflectometry method is proposed for the determination of trace mercury in aqueous samples. The complexation reagent dithizone was firstly injected into the properly buffered solution with vigorous stirring, which started a simultaneous formation of nanoparticles suspension of dithizone and its complexation reaction with the mercury(II) ions to make Hg-dithizone nanoparticles. After a definite time, the mixture was filtered with membrane, and then quantified directly on the surface of the membrane by using integrating sphere accessory of the UV-visible spectrophotometer. The quantitative analysis was carried out at a wavelength of 485 nm since it yielded the largest difference in diffuse reflectance spectra before and after reaction with mercury(II).A good linear correlation in the range of 0.2-4.0 μg/L with a squared correlation coefficient (R(2)) of 0.9944 and a detection limit of 0.12 μg/L were obtained. The accuracy of the method was evaluated by the analysis of spiked mercury(II) concentrations determined using this method along with those determined by the atomic fluorescence mercury vapourmeter and the results obtained were in good agreement. The proposed method was applied to the determination of mercury in tap water and river water samples with the recovery in an acceptable range (95.7-105.3%). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Atmospheric mercury in Changbai Mountain area, northeastern China II. The distribution of reactive gaseous mercury and particulate mercury and mercury deposition fluxes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Qi; Feng, Xinbin; Lu, Julia; Zheng, Wei; Song, Xinjie; Li, Ping; Han, Shijie; Xu, Hao

2009-08-01

Reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) and particulate mercury (Hgp) concentrations in ambient air from a remote site at Changbai Mountain area in northeastern China were intermittently monitored from August 2005 to July 2006 totaling 93 days representing fall, winter-spring and summer season, respectively. Rainwater and snow samples were collected during a whole year, and total mercury (THg) in rain samples were used to calculate wet depositional flux. A throughfall method and a model method were used to estimate dry depositional flux. Results showed mean concentrations of RGM and Hgp are 65 and 77 pg m(-3). Compared to background concentrations of atmospheric mercury species in Northern Hemisphere, RGM and Hgp are significantly elevated in Changbai area. Large values for standard deviation indicated fast reactivity and a low residence time for these mercury species. Seasonal variability is also important, with lower mercury levels in summer compared to other seasons, which is attributed to scavenging by rainfall and low local mercury emissions in summer. THg concentrations ranged from 11.5 to 15.9 ng L(-1) in rainwater samples and 14.9-18.6 ng L(-1) in throughfall samples. Wet depositional flux in Changbai area is calculated to be 8.4 microg m(-2) a(-1), and dry deposition flux is estimated to be 16.5 microg m(-2) a(-1) according to a throughfall method and 20.2 microg m(-2) a(-1) using a model method.

Sensitive determination of mercury by a miniaturized spectrophotometer after in situ single-drop microextraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Fangwen; Liu Rui; Tan Zhiqiang; Wen Xiaodong; Zheng Chengbin; Lv Yi

2010-01-01

An in situ single-drop microextraction (SDME) method was developed for trace mercury determination by a miniaturized spectrophotometer, in which a simple and cheap light-emitting diode (LED) was employed as the light source, and a handheld charge coupled device (CCD) was served as the detector. A droplet of 0.006% dithizone-CCl 4 (m/v) was used as extraction phase and hanged on a rolled PTFE tube. LED light was adjusted carefully to pass through the centre of the droplet and the entrance slit of the CCD detector. The radiation intensities of 475 nm before and after SDME (I 0 and I i ) were recorded for quantification. Under the optimum conditions, the system provided a linear range of 2-50 μg L -1 , with a correlation coefficient of 0.9983 and a limit of detection (3σ) of 0.2 μg L -1 . The enrichment factor was about 69. The present method showed the merits of high sensitivity, simplicity, rapidity, low reagent consumption and field analysis potential. Finally, this method was successfully applied for the determination of the total mercury in spiked tap water sample, spiked river water sample and certified reference material (GBW (E) 080393, simulated water).

Sensitive determination of mercury by a miniaturized spectrophotometer after in situ single-drop microextraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Fangwen; Liu, Rui; Tan, Zhiqiang; Wen, Xiaodong; Zheng, Chengbin; Lv, Yi

2010-11-15

An in situ single-drop microextraction (SDME) method was developed for trace mercury determination by a miniaturized spectrophotometer, in which a simple and cheap light-emitting diode (LED) was employed as the light source, and a handheld charge coupled device (CCD) was served as the detector. A droplet of 0.006% dithizone-CCl(4) (m/v) was used as extraction phase and hanged on a rolled PTFE tube. LED light was adjusted carefully to pass through the centre of the droplet and the entrance slit of the CCD detector. The radiation intensities of 475 nm before and after SDME (I(0) and I(i)) were recorded for quantification. Under the optimum conditions, the system provided a linear range of 2-50 μg L(-1), with a correlation coefficient of 0.9983 and a limit of detection (3σ) of 0.2 μg L(-1). The enrichment factor was about 69. The present method showed the merits of high sensitivity, simplicity, rapidity, low reagent consumption and field analysis potential. Finally, this method was successfully applied for the determination of the total mercury in spiked tap water sample, spiked river water sample and certified reference material (GBW (E) 080393, simulated water). Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mercury and gold concentrations of highly polluted environmental samples determined using prompt gamma-ray analysis and instrument neutron activation analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Osawa, Takahito; Hatsukawa, Yuichi; Appel, Peter W. U.; Matsue, Hideaki

2011-04-01

The authors have established a method of determining mercury and gold in severely polluted environmental samples using prompt gamma-ray analysis (PGA) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Since large amounts of mercury are constantly being released into the environment by small-scale gold mining in many developing countries, the mercury concentration in tailings and water has to be determined to mitigate environmental pollution. Cold-vapor atomic absorption analysis, the most pervasive method of mercury analysis, is not suitable because tailings and water around mining facilities have extremely high mercury concentrations. On the other hand, PGA can determine high mercury concentrations in polluted samples as it has an appropriate level of sensitivity. Moreover, gold concentrations can be determined sequentially by using INAA after PGA. In conclusion, the analytical procedure established in this work using PGA and INAA is the best way to evaluate the degree of pollution and the tailing resource value. This method will significantly contribute to mitigating problems in the global environment.

Mercury and gold concentrations of highly polluted environmental samples determined using prompt gamma-ray analysis and instrument neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osawa, Takahito; Hatsukawa, Yuichi; Appel, Peter W.U.; Matsue, Hideaki

2011-01-01

The authors have established a method of determining mercury and gold in severely polluted environmental samples using prompt gamma-ray analysis (PGA) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Since large amounts of mercury are constantly being released into the environment by small-scale gold mining in many developing countries, the mercury concentration in tailings and water has to be determined to mitigate environmental pollution. Cold-vapor atomic absorption analysis, the most pervasive method of mercury analysis, is not suitable because tailings and water around mining facilities have extremely high mercury concentrations. On the other hand, PGA can determine high mercury concentrations in polluted samples as it has an appropriate level of sensitivity. Moreover, gold concentrations can be determined sequentially by using INAA after PGA. In conclusion, the analytical procedure established in this work using PGA and INAA is the best way to evaluate the degree of pollution and the tailing resource value. This method will significantly contribute to mitigating problems in the global environment.

Slurry sampling in serum blood for mercury determination by CV-AFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aranda, Pedro R.; Gil, Raul A.; Moyano, Susana; De Vito, Irma; Martinez, Luis D.

2009-01-01

The heavy metal mercury (Hg) is a neurotoxin known to have a serious health impact even at relatively low concentrations. A slurry method was developed for the sensitive and precise determination of mercury in human serum blood samples by cold vapor generation coupled to atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV-AFS). All variables related to the slurry formation were studied. The optimal hydrochloric concentration and tin(II) chloride concentration for CV generation were evaluated. Calibration within the range 0.1-10 μg L -1 Hg was performed with the standard addition method, and compared with an external calibration. Additionally, the reliability of the results obtained was evaluated by analyzing mercury in the same samples, but submitted to microwave-assisted digestion method. The limit of detection was calculated as 25 ng L -1 and the relative standard deviation was 3.9% at levels around of 0.4 μg L -1 Hg

The determination of the bulk density of irradiated samples using a mercury pyknometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keep, R.H.; Perks, J.M.

1980-05-01

A method for determining the bulk density of fragmented UO 2 specimens in the mass range 1 to 10 g by mercury pyknometry has been developed. The factor limiting the accuracy of the technique in this application is the consistency with which the pyknometer can be filled with mercury; this is dependent on the vacuum obtained in the pyknometer prior to filling. It has been found that this method can be used to determine the density of fragments of UO 2 in the mass range specified to an accuracy of better than +- 0.2% (1σ). (author)

Influence of the Sostanj coal-fired thermal power plant on mercury and methyl mercury concentrations in Lake Velenje, Slovenia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kotnik, J.; Horvat, M.; Mandic, V.; Logar, M. [Department of Environmental Sciences, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia)

2000-10-02

Lake Velenje is located in one of the most polluted regions in Slovenia, the Salek Valley. The major source of pollution in the valley is the coal-fired thermal power plant in Sostanj (STPP, capacity 775 MW). It has five separate units. All units have electrostatic precipitators for fly ash removal. Unit 4 also has installed a wet flue gas desulfurisation system (FGD system). Total mercury (THg) concentrations were measured in lignite, slag and ash samples from the STPP. In flue gas, different mercury species (THg, MeHg, Hg{sup 2+}, Hg{sup 0}) were determined separately for unit 4 and unit 5 which use different flue gas cleaning technology. Mercury and methyl mercury (MeHg) concentrations were also measured in lake water at different depths, in inflow water, outflow water, rain, snow and lake sediments in order to establish the influence of the power plant on the lake. Most mercury emitted from the power plant is in the elemental form. The ratio between oxidised and elemental Hg depends on the flue gas cleaning technology. Mass balance calculations have been performed for the STPP. The results show that the major sources of mercury in Lake Velenje are wet deposition and lake inflows. Total and MeHg concentrations in the water column are very low and can be compared to other non-contaminated freshwater lakes in the world.

Influence of the Sostanj coal-fired thermal power plant on mercury and methyl mercury concentrations in Lake Velenje, Slovenia

Science.gov (United States)

Kotnik; Horvat; Mandic; Logar

2000-10-02

Lake Velenje is located in one of the most polluted regions in Slovenia, the Salek Valley. The major source of pollution in the valley is the coal-fired thermal power plant in Sostanj (STPP, capacity 775 MW). It has five separate units. All units have electrostatic precipitators for fly ash removal. Unit 4 also has installed a wet flue gas desulfurisation system (FGD system). Total mercury (THg) concentrations were measured in lignite, slag and ash samples from the STPP. In flue gas, different mercury species (THg, MeHg, Hg2+, Hg0) were determined separately for unit 4 and unit 5 which use different flue gas cleaning technology. Mercury and methyl mercury (MeHg) concentrations were also measured in lake water at different depths, in inflow water, outflow water, rain, snow and lake sediments in order to establish the influence of the power plant on the lake. Most mercury emitted from the power plant is in the elemental form. The ratio between oxidised and elemental Hg depends on the flue gas cleaning technology. Mass balance calculations have been performed for the STPP. The results show that the major sources of mercury in Lake Velenje are wet deposition and lake inflows. Total and MeHg concentrations in the water column are very low and can be compared to other non-contaminated freshwater lakes in the world.

Monitoring of mercury concentration in atmosphere in Usti nad Labem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Synek, V.; Baloch, T.; Otcenasek, J.; Kremlova, S.; Subrt, P.

2007-01-01

This study elaborates the observation of mercury pollution of the atmosphere in the city of Usti nad Labem. The biggest source of the polluting mercury in Usti nad Labem is the chlor-alkali production in the factory of Spolchemie Inc. The method of mercury determination applied is based on capturing the mercury contented in a volume of the air on an amalgamator and measuring the mercury by an atomic absorption spectrometer (Perkin -Elmer 4100ZL) equipped with a special adapter after a thermal release of the mercury from the amalgamator. The basic characteristics of this method were evaluated; e.g. the limit of detection and limit of determination are, respectively, 0.43 and 1.4 ng/m 3 , the relative expanded uncertainty is 28 %. The work gives results of long-term (1998-2006) observations in a few localities in Usti nad Labem situated in various distances from the mercury source (e.g. means of 28.6 and 14.1 ng/m3 were obtained, respectively, in places 350 and 700 m far from the electrolysis plant) and also in a different city (Duchcov). The cases with a higher mercury concentration are very frequent so the sets of the obtained results have lognormal distributions. This study statistically compares the total level and variability of the mercury concentrations in the time series. It also investigates their trends, correlations between them and meteorological influences upon the levels of mercury concentration in the air. The effect of the mercury emission from the chlor-alkali plant is dominant. It as the only factor determines when the cases with a high mercury concentration in the atmosphere occur. (author)

Scalp hair and saliva as biomarkers in determination of mercury levels in Iranian women: Amalgam as a determinant of exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fakour, H.; Esmaili-Sari, A.; Zayeri, F.

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between mercury concentrations in saliva and hair in women with amalgam fillings and its relation with age and number of amalgam fillings. Eighty-two hair and saliva samples were collected randomly from Iranian women who have the same fish consumption pattern and free from occupational exposures. The mean ± SD age of these women was 29.37 ± 8.12 (ranged from 20 to 56). The determination of Hg level in hair samples was carried out by the LECO, AMA 254, Advanced Mercury Analyzer according to ASTM, standard No. D-6722. Mercury concentration in saliva samples was analyzed by PERKIN-ELMER 3030 Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The mean ± SD mercury level in the women was 1.28 ± 1.38 μg/g in hair and 4.14 ± 4.08 μg/l in saliva; and there were positive correlation among them. A significant correlation was also observed between Hg level of saliva (Spearman's ρ = 0.93, P < 0.001) and hair (Spearman's ρ = 0.92, P < 0.001) with number of amalgam fillings. According to the results, we can conclude that amalgam fillings may be an effective source for high Hg concentration in hair and releasing the mercury to the saliva samples.

Health and environmental impact of mercury in the Philippines using nuclear techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cortex-Maramba, Nelia; Trinidad Francisco-Rivera, Ana; Manglicmot, Ailyn; Santos, Flora; Akagi, Hirokatsu

2001-01-01

Artisanal gold mining activities using mercury has proliferated in various parts of the country since the early 1980's. In Southern Philippines, it is estimated that a small-scale gold processor utilizes one kilogram of mercury every week or an average of fifty-two kgs./yr. Production is estimated at 30 kilograms of gold per day. It has been estimated that 140 tons of mercury flux have been dumped directly into the river systems from small-scale gold mining operations in one of the gold rush areas in the country. Small-scale mining operations have affected tributaries and water systems in the country that also relies heavily on fishing as a source of livelihood as well as the daily food fare among the low-income sectors in the area. Aside from this, cattle livestock and agricultural production have also been affected by these mining activities because of contamination of the irrigation and water systems. Presently, environmental and health monitoring conducted by several government agencies in the recent past were limited to the determination of total mercury only. Previous studies undertaken focused mainly on the exposure of adults and workers to mercury during mining/processing operations. Environmental quality monitoring showed total mercury sediment levels ranged from 0.55 ug/g dry weight while water samples from river systems exhibited mercury levels from 0.0728-0.0784 ppb. Fish samples collected showed levels ranging from 1.07-438.8 ppb for total mercury and 0.71-377.18 ppb for methyl mercury. Methyl mercury content in fish ranged from 56-99%. Laboratory results showed that total mercury hair samples in schoolchildren ranged from 0.278-20.393 ppm while methyl mercury levels were from 0.191-18.469 ppm. Methyl mercury represented 45.96%-99.81% of the total mercury levels in hair. Total blood mercury levels ranged from 0.757-56.88 ppb while methyl mercury blood levels ranged from 1.36-46.73 ppb. Summary of physical examination results showed that predominant

Got Mercury?

Science.gov (United States)

Meyers, Valerie E.; McCoy, J. Torin; Garcia, Hector D.; James, John T.

2009-01-01

airborne mercury vapor concentrations greater than 0.1 mg/cu m in the total spacecraft atmosphere for exposures lasting 30 days or less or 0.01 mg/cu m mercury vapor for exposures lasting more than 30 days. We also encourage the use of alternative devices that do not contain mercury.

Determination of mercury in dentists through Neutron activation analysis; Determinacion de mercurio en odontologos mediante Analisis por activacion neutronica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Padilla M, M.A.; Granados C, F. [Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Departamento de Quimica, A.P. 18-1027, C.P. 11801 Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

2000-07-01

It was determined the mercury levels in urine through Neutron activation analysis to 25 dentists who have been exposed to mercury by several time periods, because of the routine manipulations of amalgams. The determined concentrations of mercury were less to 10 {mu} g Hg/l of urine. The results were founded inside the safety limits reported in the literature. The mercury levels in the dentists are associated with a wide variety of factors that contribute to their exposure as: number of years of dental practice, number of amalgams manipulated between others. (Author)

Determination of mercury by cold-vapor technique in several tissues of treated American red crayfish (Procambarus clarkii)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Del Ramo, J.; Pastor, A.; Diaz-Mayans, J.; Medina, J.; Torreblanca, A.

1988-01-01

Adult intermolt specimens of American red crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) collected from Lake Albufera (Valencia, Spain), were exposed to mercury during 96 h. The Hg-concentrations used were 50, 100, and 250 ..mu..g Hg/l as Cl/sub 2/Hg. The content of mercury in muscle, midgut gland, antennal glands and gills was investigated. Determinations of mercury were made by cold-vapor technique and AAS. The mercury levels in all examined tissues increased significantly with increasing Hg-concentration in the water.

Application of hair-mercury analysis to determine the impact of a seafood advisory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weihe, P.; Grandjean, Philippe; Joergensen, P.J.

2005-01-01

Following an official recommendation in the Faroe Islands that women should abstain from eating mercury-contaminated pilot whale meat, a survey was carried out to obtain information on dietary habits and hair samples for mercury analysis. A letter was sent to all 1180 women aged 26-30 years who resided within the Faroes, and the women were contacted again 1 year later. A total of 415 women responded to the first letter; the second letter resulted in 145 repeat hair samples and 125 new responses. Questionnaire results showed that Faroese women, on average, consumed whale meat for dinner only once every second month, but the frequency and meal size depended on the availability of whale in the community. The geometric mean hair-mercury concentration at the first survey was higher in districts with available whale than in those without (3.03 vs. 1.88 μg/g; P=0.001). The mercury concentration also depended on the frequency of whale meat dinners and on the consumption of dried whale meat. The 36 women who did not eat whale meat at all had a geometric mean hair-mercury concentration of 1.28 μg/g. At the time of the second survey, the geometric mean had decreased to 1.77 μg/g (P<0.001), although whale was now available in all districts. In comparison with previously published data on hair-mercury concentrations in pregnant Faroese women, these results document substantially lower exposures as well as a further decrease temporally associated with the issue of a stricter dietary advisory

Levels of total mercury in marine organisms from Adriatic Sea, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Perugini, Monia; Visciano, Pierina; Manera, Maurizio; Zaccaroni, Annalisa; Olivieri, Vincenzo; Amorena, Michele

2009-08-01

The presence of total mercury in fish, crustacean and cephalopod from Adriatic Sea, was investigated. The highest concentrations were observed in decreasing order in: Norway lobster (0.97 +/- 0.24 mg/kg; mean +/- SE), European hake (0.59 +/- 0.14 mg/kg), red mullet (0.48 +/- 0.09 mg/kg), blue whiting (0.38 +/- 0.09 mg/kg), Atlantic mackerel (0.36 +/- 0.08 mg/kg) and European flying squid (0.25 +/- 0.03 mg/kg). A significant difference (p fish and fishery products can exceed the maximum levels and stress the need of more information for consumers in particular for people that eat large amount of fish.

Ultrasensitive determination of mercury in human saliva by atomic fluorescence spectrometry based on solidified floating organic drop microextraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, C.-G.; Wang, J.; Jin, Y.

2012-01-01

We report on a new, rapid and simple method for the determination of ultra-trace quantities of mercury ion in human saliva. It is based on solidified floating organic drop microextraction and detection by cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV-AFS). Mercury ion was complexed with diethyldithiocarbamate, and the hydrophobic complex was then extracted into fine droplets of 1-undecanol. By cooling in an ice bath after extraction, the droplets in solution solidify to form a single ball floating on the surface of solution. The solidified micro drop containing the mercury complex was then transferred for determination by CV-AFS. The effects of pH value, concentration of chelating reagent, quantity of 1-undecanol, sample volume, equilibration temperature and time were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the preconcentration of a 25-mL sample is accomplished with an enrichment factor of 182. The limit of detection is 2.5 ng L -1 . The relative standard deviation for seven replicate determinations at 0.1 ng mL -1 level is 4.1%. The method was applied to the determination of mercury in saliva samples collected from four volunteers. Two volunteers having dental amalgam fillings had 0.4 ng mL -1 mercury in their saliva, whereas mercury was not detectable in the saliva of two volunteers who had no dental fillings. (author)

Quality control of analyses of mercury in hair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lind, B.; Friberg, L.; Bigras, L.; Kirkbride, J.; Kennedy, P.; Kjellstroem, T.

1988-01-01

A quality control programme for mercury determinations in hair was developed within a study of 'Mental effects of prenatal methylmercury exposure in New Zealand children'. Hair was obtained from seven females with a mercury concentration of about 0.5-4 μg Hg/g. The hair was cut into 1-5 cm pieces and pulverized by liquid nitrogen grinding using a ring mill. In order to obtain a series of QC samples with varying Hg concentrations, different amounts of powder from all the samples and a reference sample of pulverized hair (11.2 μg Hg/g) were mixed. The mercury concentrations in the original samples and the mixtures were determined by radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA). In total four laboratories participated in the interlaboratory comparison. All laboratories used the cold vapor AAS technique and Hg monitor model 1235, LDC for determinations after wet digestion of the samples. (orig./RB)

Total and methyl mercury concentrations in sediment and water of a constructed wetland in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oswald, Claire J.; Carey, Sean K.

2016-01-01

In the Athabasca Oil Sands Region in northeastern Alberta, Canada, oil sands operators are testing the feasibility of peatland construction on the post-mining landscape. In 2009, Syncrude Canada Ltd. began construction of the 52 ha Sandhill Fen pilot watershed, including a 15 ha, hydrologically managed fen peatland built on sand-capped soft oil sands tailings. An integral component of fen reclamation is post-construction monitoring of water quality, including salinity, fluvial carbon, and priority pollutant elements. In this study, the effects of fen reclamation and elevated sulfate levels on mercury (Hg) fate and transport in the constructed system were assessed. Total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in the fen sediment were lower than in two nearby natural fens, which may be due to the higher mineral content of the Sandhill Fen peat mix and/or a loss of Hg through evasion during the peat harvesting, stockpiling and placement processes. Porewater MeHg concentrations in the Sandhill Fen typically did not exceed 1.0 ng L −1 . The low MeHg concentrations may be a result of elevated porewater sulfate concentrations (mean 346 mg L −1 ) and an increase in sulphide concentrations with depth in the peat, which are known to suppress MeHg production. Total Hg and MeHg concentrations increased during a controlled mid-summer flooding event where the water table rose above the ground surface in most of the fen. The Hg dynamics during this event showed that hydrologic fluctuations in this system exacerbate the release of THg and MeHg downstream. In addition, the elevated SO 4 2− concentrations in the peat porewaters may become a problem with respect to downstream MeHg production once the fen is hydrologically connected to a larger wetland network that is currently being constructed. - Highlights: • A constructed fen peatland in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region was studied. • Total and methyl mercury concentrations in fen sediment and waters

Determination of lead, mercury and cadmium concentrations in different organs of Barbus grypus and Liza abu of Karoon River in 2011

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A ghorbani ranjbary

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Accumulation of heavy metals in fish body causes the destruction of soft tissues and suppression of immune system. Moreover, consumption of contaminated fish causes several consequences in humans. This survey was conducted to determine the concentration of lead, mercury and cadmium in muscle tissue, gill as well as liver of Barbus grypus and Liza abu. These two species are native fishes of Karoon River in Ahvaz area. A total number of 80 sample was obtained during the winter of 2010. After preparation and chemical digestion of fish samples, the amounts of heavy metals were determined by spectrophotometer method. According to the results, the overall lead concentration in different organs of the two species was more than mercury and cadmium concentrations. Furthermore, the accumulation of heavy elements in gills was estimated higher than the other organs. Although a significant difference (P

Mercury balance analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maag, J.; Lassen, C.; Hansen, E.

1996-01-01

A detailed assessment of the consumption of mercury, divided into use areas, was carried out. Disposal and emissions to the environment were also qualified. The assessment is mainly based on data from 1992 - 1993. The most important source of emission of mercury to air is solid waste incineration which is assessed in particular to be due to the supply of mercury in batteries (most likely mercury oxide batteries from photo equipment) and to dental fillings. The second most important source of mercury emission to air is coal-fired power plants which are estimated to account for 200-500 kg of mercury emission p.a. Other mercury emissions are mainly related to waste treatment and disposal. The consumption of mercury is generally decreasing. During the period from 1982/83 - 1992-93, the total consumption of mercury in Denmark was about halved. This development is related to the fact that consumption with regard to several important use areas (batteries, dental fillings, thermometers etc.) has been significantly reduced, while for other purposes the use of mercury has completely, or almost disappeared, i.e. (fungicides for seed, tubes etc.). (EG)

Assessment of mobility and bioavailability of mercury compounds in sewage sludge and composts.

Science.gov (United States)

Janowska, Beata; Szymański, Kazimierz; Sidełko, Robert; Siebielska, Izabela; Walendzik, Bartosz

2017-07-01

Content of heavy metals, including mercury, determines the method of management and disposal of sewage sludge. Excessive concentration of mercury in composts used as organic fertilizer may lead to accumulation of this element in soil and plant material. Fractionation of mercury in sewage sludge and composts provides a better understanding of the extent of mobility and bioavailability of the different mercury species and helps in more informed decision making on the application of sludge for agricultural purposes. The experimental setup comprises the composing process of the sewage sludge containing 13.1mgkg -1 of the total mercury, performed in static reactors with forced aeration. In order to evaluate the bioavailability of mercury, its fractionation was performed in sewage sludge and composts during the process. An analytical procedure based on four-stage sequential extraction was applied to determine the mercury content in the ion exchange (water soluble and exchangeable Hg), base soluble (Hg bound to humic and fulvic acid), acid soluble (Hg bound to Fe/Mn oxides and carbonates) and oxidizable (Hg bound to organic matter and sulphide) fractions. The results showed that from 50.09% to 64.55% of the total mercury was strongly bound to organo-sulphur and inorganic sulphide; that during composting, increase of concentrations of mercury compounds strongly bound with organic matter and sulphides; and that mercury content in the base soluble and oxidizable fractions was strongly correlated with concentration of dissolved organic carbon in those fractions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of extraction procedure for determination of mercury species using SPME-assisted dispersive derivative agent

Science.gov (United States)

Abdullah, Md Pauzi; Khalik, Wan Mohd Afiq Wan Mohd; Othman, Mohamed Rozali

2016-11-01

The extraction procedure for determination of low level mercury using solid phase microextraction was successfully carried out. Design of experimental works using factorial design and central composite design were applied to screen and predict the optimum condition for extraction step. In this study, variables namely concentration level (5 % m/v) and volume of derivatization solution (150 µL) has depicted as main effect for controlling the suitability of derivative reagent condition. Maximum of signal response (account as total peak areas for mercury species) was obtained when extraction procedure was set up at pH of water sample (5.8), extraction time (14 min), extraction temperature (43 °C) and stirring rate (450 rpm). Reducing time required to reach equilibrium is new improvement achieved in this study. Detection limit for each species (MeHg 26.17 ngL-1; EtHg 48.84 ngL-1 and IHg 14.11 ngL-1) was calculated lower than our previous work. Recovery, repeatability and reproducibility trial were recorded varied at acceptable range and relative standard deviation was calculated below than 10 %.

Sexual differences in the distribution and retention of organic and inorganic mercury in methyl mercury-treated rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, D.J.; Fisher, H.L.; Sumler, M.R.; Marcus, A.H.; Mushak, P.; Hall, L.L.

1986-01-01

At 56 days of age, male and female Long-Evans rats received 1 μmole of 203 Hg-labeled mercuric chloride per kilogram sc and total, organic, and inorganic mercury contents and concentrations in tissues were determined for up to 98 days postdosing. When expressed on a concentration basis, the only significant sexual difference was in the higher average concentration of organic mercury in the kidneys of females. When expressed on a tissue content basis, significant male-female differences in the kinetics (sex x time interactions) of organic mercury retention were found in kidney, brain, skeletal muscle, pelt, and whole body. Significant sex x time interactions in the concentrations of organic mercury were found in kidney, skeletal muscle, and whole body. Kinetics of retention and concentration of inorganic Hg in the pelt differed significantly for males and females. Discordance of degree of statistical significance of differences in mercury contents and concentrations reflected in part differences in relative body composition of males and females. Differences in integrated exposure were estimated by the female-to-male ratio of areas under retention curves. Reconstruction of whole body organic and inorganic mercury burdens from constituent tissues indicated that integrated exposures of males and females to inorganic mercury were equal but females had a lower integrated exposure to organic mercury. Integrated exposure of liver to either form of mercury was about equal in males and females. However, the integrated exposure of the brain of females to inorganic mercury was 2.19 times that of males suggest'ing a sexual difference in accumulation or retention of inorganic mercury in the nervous system

Assessment of levels of mercury in human breast milk in Obuasi Municipality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asamoah-Antwi, Dinah

2016-07-01

This study was conducted to assess the levels of mercury in breast milk and its potential health risk to the breastfed infants in Obuasi Municipality. Forty eight (48) individual breast milk samples were collected from mothers in selected health facilities in Obuasi town and it’s environ. Total mercury concentrations were determined in the breast milk samples using advanced mercury analyser (AMA254 Altec s.r.o, in the Czech Republic). Methylmercury levels were determined using high performance liquid chromatography linked to inductively couple plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) with isotope dilution. The mean concentrations of Total Hg and Methyl Hg in the breast milk were 0.4043 and 0.1829 μg/L respectively. Total mercury and methylmercury concentrations ranged from 0.080 to 2.320 μg/L and 0.008 to 0.734 μg/L respectively. The estimated intake obtained in this study was lower than the reference dose established by the US EPA (0.3μg/kg/day). However the hazard quotients evaluated showed that the one month old infants had hazard quotient above the 0.2, therefore indicating that there is a potential risk for such infants and need to be managed. It was also found that (65.3%) of the mothers had no knowledge of the exposure route to mercury and it toxicity to humans. (au)

Correlation between mercury and selenium concentrations in Indian hair from Rondĵnia State, Amazon region, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Soares, Mônica Campos; Sarkis, Jorge Eduardo Souza; Müller, Regina Céli Sarkis; Brabo, Edilson Silva; Santos, Elizabete Oliveira

2002-03-15

Total mercury and selenium concentrations were determined in hair samples collected from Wari (Pacaás Novos) Indians living in Doutor Tanajura village, Gujará-Mirim city, Rondĵnia State. The mercury concentrations in some samples are much higher than the values determined in samples from individuals not exposed to mercury contamination, occupationally or environmentally. The selenium concentrations are in the normal range. A correlation was observed between the mercury and selenium concentration and the values of the molar ratio approach 1 at low Hg concentrations. This fact is related to the equimolar complex formed by [(Hg-Se)n]m-Seleprotein P, which can decrease the bioavailable mercury in the organism.

Indirect determination of potassium, rubidium and caesium with mercury chloranilate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huber, H.; Raber, H.; Dvorak, K.; Kalcher, K.

1982-01-01

In the reaction of alkali-tetraphenylborates with mercury(II)-chloranilate, four moles of chloranilic acid are released per g ion of alkali metal. The chloranilic acid was determined photometrically at 332 or at 540 nm. With a molar extinction coefficient of 10 6 , this technique is one of the most sensitive wet chemical alkali determinations. In this way, ammonium and organic bases can be detected photometrically as tetraphenylborates provided that there is a stoichiometrically perfect composition. (author)

Recent Studies on the Speciation and Determination of Mercury in Different Environmental Matrices Using Various Analytical Techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lakshmi Narayana Suvarapu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews the current research on the speciation and determination of mercury by various analytical techniques, including the atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS, voltammetry, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES, ICP-mass spectrometry (MS, atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS, spectrophotometry, spectrofluorometry, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC. Approximately 96 research papers on the speciation and determination of mercury by various analytical instruments published in international journals since 2015 were reviewed. All analytical parameters, including the limits of detection, linearity range, quality assurance and control, applicability, and interfering ions, evaluated in the reviewed articles were tabulated. In this review, we found a lack of information in speciation studies of mercury in recent years. Another important conclusion from this review was that there were few studies regarding the concentration of mercury in the atmosphere.

Studies on the determination of mercury in human beard shavings by neutron-activation and γ-ray analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pritchard, J.G.; Saied, S.O.

1986-01-01

The determination of mercury by instrumental neutron-activation analysis has been studied with particular emphasis on hair as the matrix. The well known analytical standards orchard leaves and Bowen's kale have been compared and the value 0.164 +-0.013 p.p.m. found for the level of mercury in Bowen's kale. Hence, the likely accuracy is +- 8% when matrices similar to Bowen's kale are analysed for mercury by the method described. All factors affecting the precision are discussed. Powdered hair and the standards were shown to be easily homogenisable; however, beard shavings were found to be generally inhomogeneous with respect to mercury distribution, especially when the mercury content was much in excess of ca. 2 p.p.m. owing to exposure of subjects to mercury in the professional working environment. The beard shavings of non-occupationally exposed human beings contained 0.1 to 1.5 p.p.m. of mercury. Difficulties with the establishment of a mercury mass standard for use with the method are discussed. (author)

Mercury in products - a source of transboundary pollutant transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Munthe, J; Kindbom, K [Swedish Environmental Research Inst., Stockholm (Sweden)

1997-12-01

The purpose of this report is to summarize current knowledge on product-related emissions of mercury to air on a European scale, and to estimate the contribution from mercury contained in products, to the total anthropogenic emissions of mercury to air and transboundary transport of mercury in Europe. Products included in this study are batteries, measuring and control instruments, light sources and electrical equipment, all intentionally containing mercury. The main result of this study is that product-related emission of mercury can contribute significantly to total emissions and transboundary transport of mercury in the European region and that measures to limit the use of mercury in products can contribute to an overall decrease of the environmental input of mercury in Europe. It is concluded that: -Mercury contained in products may be emitted to air during consumption, after disposal when incinerated or when volatilized from landfill. Mercury may also be emitted to air during recycling of scrap metal or when accumulated (stored) in society. -The amount of mercury consumed in batteries and in measuring and control instruments had decreased since the late 1980`s. The total use of mercury in light sources and electrical equipment has not changed significantly during the same time period. The contribution to total anthropogenic emissions of mercury to air in Europe in the mid 1990`s is estimated to be: for batteries 4%; for measuring and control instruments 3%; for lighting and electrical equipment 11%. -Mercury in products leads to significant wet deposition input in Scandinavia. The relative amount of the total deposition flux attributable to products is estimated to be 10-14% 26 refs, 4 figs, 10 tabs

A SUMMARY OF TOTAL MERCURY CONCENTRATIONS IN FLORA AND FAUNA NEAR CONTAMINANT SOURCES IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

Science.gov (United States)

This report summarizes total mercury concentrations for environmental media collected from near-coastal areas including those impacted by contaminant sources common to the Gulf of Mexico. Water, sediment, fish, blue crabs, oysters, clams, mussels, periphyton and seagrasses were ...

Validation of an analytical method for the determination of total mercury in urine samples using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guilhen, Sabine Neusatz

2009-01-01

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal applied to a variety of products and processes, representing a risk to the health of occupationally or accidentally exposed subjects. Dental amalgam is a restorative material composed of metallic mercury, which use has been widely debated in the last decades. Due to the dubiety of the studies concerning dental amalgam, many efforts concerning this issue have been conducted. The Tropical Medicine Foundation (Tocantins, Brazil) has recently initiated a study to evaluate the environmental and occupational levels of exposure to mercury in dentistry attendants at public consulting rooms in the city of Araguaina (TO). In collaboration with this study, the laboratory of analysis at IPEN's Chemistry and Environment Center is undertaking the analysis of mercury levels in exposed subjects' urine samples using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. This analysis requires the definition of a methodology capable of generating reliable results. Such methodology can only be implemented after a rigorous validation procedure. As part of this work, a series of tests were conducted in order to confirm the suitability of the selected methodology and to assert that the laboratory addresses all requirements needed for a successful implementation of the methodology. The following parameters were considered in order to test the method's performance: detection and quantitation limits, selectivity, sensitivity, linearity, accuracy and precision. The assays were carried out with certified reference material, which assures the traceability of the results. Taking into account the estimated parameters, the method can be considered suitable for the afore mentioned purpose. The mercury concentration found for the reference material was of (95,12 +- 11,70)mug.L -1 with a recovery rate of 97%. The method was also applied to 39 urine samples, six of which (15%) showing urinary mercury levels above the normal limit of 10μg.L -1 . The obtained results fall into a

Influences on Mercury Bioaccumulation Factors for the Savannah River

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paller, M.H.

2003-01-01

Mercury TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Loads) are a regulatory instrument designed to reduce the amount of mercury entering a water body and ultimately to control the bioaccumulation of mercury in fish. TMDLs are based on a BAF (bioaccumulation factor), which is the ratio of methyl mercury in fish to dissolved methyl mercury in water. Analysis of fish tissue and aqueous methyl mercury samples collected at a number of locations and over several seasons in a 118 km reach of the Savannah River demonstrated that species specific BAFs varied by factors of three to eight. Factors contributing to BAF variability were location, habitat and season related differences in fish muscle tissue mercury levels and seasonal differences in dissolved methyl mercury levels. Overall (all locations, habitats, and seasons) average BAFs were 3.7 x 106 for largemouth bass, 1.4 x 106 for sunfishes, and 2.5 x 106 for white catfish. Inaccurate and imprecise BAFs can result in unnecessary economic impact or insufficient protection of human health. Determination of representative and precise BAFs for mercury in fish FR-om large rivers necessitates collecting large and approximately equal numbers of fish and aqueous methyl mercury samples over a seasonal cycle FR-om the entire area and all habitats to be represented by the TMDL

Quantification of total mercury in liver and heart tissue of Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina) from Alaska USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marino, Kady B.; Hoover-Miller, Anne; Conlon, Suzanne; Prewitt, Jill; O'Shea, Stephen K.

2011-01-01

This study quantified the Hg levels in the liver (n=98) and heart (n=43) tissues of Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina) (n=102) harvested from Prince William Sound and Kodiak Island Alaska. Mercury tissue dry weight (dw) concentrations in the liver ranged from 1.7 to 393 ppm dw, and in the heart from 0.19 to 4.99 ppm dw. Results of this study indicate liver and heart tissues' Hg ppm dw concentrations significantly increase with age. Male Harbor Seals bioaccumulated Hg in both their liver and heart tissues at a significantly faster rate than females. The liver Hg bioaccumulation rates between the harvest locations Kodiak Island and Prince William Sound were not found to be significantly different. On adsorption Hg is transported throughout the Harbor Seal's body with the partition coefficient higher for the liver than the heart. No significant differences in the bio-distribution (liver:heart Hg ppm dw ratios (n=38)) values were found with respect to either age, sex or geographic harvest location. In this study the age at which Hg liver and heart bioaccumulation levels become significantly distinct in male and female Harbor Seals were identified through a Tukey's analysis. Of notably concern to human health was a male Harbor Seal's liver tissue harvested from Kodiak Island region. Mercury accumulation in this sample tissue was determined through a Q-test to be an outlier, having far higher Hg concentrarion (liver 392 Hg ppm dw) than the general population sampled. - Highlights: ► Mercury accumulation in the liver and heart of seals exceed food safety guidelines. ► Accumulation rate is greater in males than females with age. ► Liver mercury accumulation is greater than in the heart tissues. ► Mercury determination by USA EPA Method 7473 using thermal decomposition.

Atmospheric mercury concentrations in the basin of the amazon, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Hachiya, N; Takizawa, Y; Hisamatsu, S; Abe, T; Abe, Y; Motohashi, Y

1998-01-01

A wide regional mercury pollution in Amazon, Brazil is closely associated with goldmining that has been carried out in the basin of tributaries of the Amazon since the eighteenth century. Possible involvement has been discussed on atmospheric circulation in distributing the volatile pollutant. We developed a portable air sampler for the collection of mercury compounds and determined atmospheric mercury concentrations at several sites in Brazil including the basin of the Amazon tributaries. The mean concentration of total mercury was between 9.1 and 14.0 ng/m(3) in the basin of the Uatumã River located in the tropical rain forest far from goldmining sites and from urbanized area. These mercury levels exceeded the background level previously reported in rural area and, furthermore, were higher than concentrations observed in Rio de Janeiro and in Manaus that were compatible with the reference values for urban area. Mercury concentrations were also determined in gold refineries in the basin of the Tapajos River, and detected at a significant but not a health deteriorating level. Although only preliminary data were available, the present observations were in favor of the hypothesis that mercury is distributed widely by long distant transport by the atmospheric circulation after released at gold mining sites.

Method and apparatus for monitoring mercury emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Durham, Michael D.; Schlager, Richard J.; Sappey, Andrew D.; Sagan, Francis J.; Marmaro, Roger W.; Wilson, Kevin G.

1997-01-01

A mercury monitoring device that continuously monitors the total mercury concentration in a gas. The device uses the same chamber for converting speciated mercury into elemental mercury and for measurement of the mercury in the chamber by radiation absorption techniques. The interior of the chamber is resistant to the absorption of speciated and elemental mercury at the operating temperature of the chamber.

Determination of total and organic mercury and evaluation of methylation and demethylation processes in sediments of the Rio Grande Reservoir, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franklin, Robson Leocadio

2010-01-01

The Rio Grande reservoir is located in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo and it is a very important water supply for this region. In the present study bottom waters and sediment samples collected in this reservoir, in four sampling points, in four campaigns, from September 2008 to January 2010, were analyzed. Firstly total Hg was determined in sediment and bottom waters by cold vapor atomic absorption technique (CV AAS). Following, the analytical methodology for organic Hg was adapted from literature, where the organomercurial compounds were extracted with dichloromethane in acid medium and subsequent destruction of organic compounds by bromine chloride. The validation of this methodology, in terms of precision and accuracy, was performed by means of IAEA 405 and BCR-CRM 580 reference materials analyses. For methylation and demethylation processes evaluation in this environment, the following physical and chemical parameters were assessed, in situ: pH, water temperature, redox potential (EH), transparency and depth. For the sediment samples, granulometry, total organic carbon, sulphate-reducing bacteria, total N and P, besides the metals Co, Cu, Fe and Mn were evaluated. The selection of these parameters was related to the factors that influence the behavior of MeHg in the sediments and its transition zone. Total Hg ranging from 1.0 to 71.0 mg kg'- 1 and organic mercury from -1 in sediments and methylation rates from 0.06 to 1.4% were found, along the reservoir. Different methylation conditions along the reservoir and its influences were also discussed. As supplementary study the concentration of some metals and trace elements in the sediments by neutron activation analysis technique was determined. As, Ba, Br, Co, Cr, Cs, Hf, Fe, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc and Zn and rare earth elements Ce, Eu, La, Lu, Nd, Sm and Yb were determined. The enrichment factor in relation to earth crust values using Sc as normalizer element reached values higher than 2.0 for the elements As, Br

Biomonitoring of Lead, Cadmium, Total Mercury, and Methylmercury Levels in Maternal Blood and in Umbilical Cord Blood at Birth in South Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yu-Mi; Chung, Jin-Young; An, Hyun Sook; Park, Sung Yong; Kim, Byoung-Gwon; Bae, Jong Woon; Han, Myoungseok; Cho, Yeon Jean; Hong, Young-Seoub

2015-01-01

With rising concerns of heavy metal exposure in pregnancy and early childhood, this study was conducted to assess the relationship between the lead, cadmium, mercury, and methylmercury blood levels in pregnancy and neonatal period. The study population included 104 mothers and their children pairs who completed both baseline maternal blood sampling at the second trimester and umbilical cord blood sampling at birth. The geometric mean maternal blood levels of lead, cadmium, total mercury, and methylmercury at the second trimester were 1.02 ± 1.39 µg/dL, 0.61 ± 1.51 µg/L, 2.97 ± 1.45 µg/L, and 2.39 ± 1.45 µg/L, respectively, and in the newborns, these levels at birth were 0.71 ± 1.42 µg/dL, 0.01 ± 5.31 µg/L, 4.44 ± 1.49 µg/L, and 3.67 ± 1.51 µg/L, respectively. The mean ratios of lead, cadmium, total mercury, and methylmercury levels in the newborns to those in the mothers were 0.72, 0.04, 1.76, and 1.81, respectively. The levels of most heavy metals in pregnant women and infants were higher in this study than in studies from industrialized western countries. The placenta appears to protect fetuses from cadmium; however, total mercury and methylmercury were able to cross the placenta and accumulate in fetuses. PMID:26516876

Non-destructive γ-spectrometric determination of mercury and gold in sea water after preconcentration by lead sulphide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexandrov, S.

1976-01-01

A method is described for determination of mercury and gold in sea-water, based on preconcentration of these elements by retention on a column of lead sulphide at pH1 (nitric and sulphuric acids), and γ-spectrometry. Mercury (0.8 +-0.2 μg/l) and gold (6 +- 3 ng/l) have been determined in a sample from the Black Sea, taken near Varna. (author)

Mercury Test on macroalgae from Burung and Tikus Island, Jakarta

Science.gov (United States)

Novianty, H.; Herandarudewi, S. M. C.; Suratno

2018-04-01

Environmental pollution, caused by the introduction of hazardous substances such as heavy metals into coastal waters, affects not only the condition of the waters but also the source of food that will be contaminated by hazardous metals, one of them is mercury (Hg). Mercury is toxic metal which could cause damage to the human body in certain threshold amounts. The aim of this study was to determin the content of mercury in several species of algae from Burung and Tikus Island, Jakarta. This study was using a descriptive method. The samples were collected from Burung and Tikus Island by simple rundown sampling. Mercury level was measured by NIC3000 mercury analyzer tool. The results showed that none of the mercury levels have passed 0.5 mg/kg (the safety standart level of mercury by SNI (Indonesian National Standard)7387 in 2019) mangrove. From tikus Island had lower total mercury than the ones from Burung Island. Burung Island is located near Pari Island which is a residential area, where pollution is more likely to occur.

Preconcentration, speciation and determination of ultra trace amounts of mercury by modified octadecyl silica membrane disk/electron beam irradiation and cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ashkenani, Hamid [Department of Chemistry, Yazd University, Yazd (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Dadfarnia, Shayessteh [Department of Chemistry, Yazd University, Yazd (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], E-mail: sdadfarnia@yazduni.ac.ir; Shabani, Ali Mohammad Haji; Jaffari, Abbas Ali [Department of Chemistry, Yazd University, Yazd (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Behjat, Abbas [Department of physics, Yazd University, Yazd (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2009-01-15

Mercury (II) and methyl mercury cations at the Sub-ppb level were adsorbed quantitatively from aqueous solution onto an octadecyl-bonded silica membrane disk modified by 2-[(2-mercaptophyenylimino)methyl] phenol (MPMP). The trapped mercury was then eluted with 3 ml ethanol and Hg{sup 2+} ion was directly measured by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry, utilizing tin (II) chloride. Total mercury (Hgt) was determined after conversion of MeHg{sup +} into Hg{sup 2+} ion by electron beam irradiation. A sample volume of 1500 ml resulted in a preconcentration factor of 500 and the precision for a sampling volume of 500 ml at a concentration of 2.5 {mu}g l{sup -1} (n = 7) was 3.1%. The limit of detection of the proposed method is 3.8 ng l{sup -1}. The method was successfully applied to analysis of water samples, and the accuracy was assessed via recovery experiment.

Mercury Pollution Studies of Some Rivers Draining the Bibiani-Anwiaso-Bekwai Mining Community of South Western Ghana

OpenAIRE

V.K. Nartey; L.K. Doamekpor; S. Sarpong-Kumankuma; T. Akabzaa; F.K. Nyame; J.K. Kutor; D. Adotey

2011-01-01

The project assessed the extent of mercury pollution of some rivers that drain the Bibiani-Anwiaso- Bekwai district which is a typical mining community in the south western part of Ghana. In the study, surfacewater and sediment samples were collected from seven streams that drain this mining community and analyzed for total mercury, organic mercury and elemental mercury. Mercury concentrations of non-filtered water was determined using the ICP-OES after reduction with stannous chloride (SnCl2...

EVALUATION OF TOTAL MERCURY CONTENT IN MUSCLE TISSUE OF MARINE FISH AND ANIMALS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Bajčan

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Nowdays, a degree of contamination by heavy metals can be observed in the environment. Heavy metals have serious effects on all living organisms because they can accumulate in lethal or sublethal concentrations in the various parts of food chain and so they can cause different health problems like cardiovascular and cancer diseases. Marine fish and animals are one of the bigges source of mercury in human food. Therefore this work is focused to the rate of mercury content in muscle tisuues of marine fish and animals. We analyzed mainly frozen or otherwise preserved marine fish and animals that were purchased in retail network in Slovakia. Mercury content in samples was analyzed by cold vapor AAS with mercury analyser AMA254. The contents of mercury in analysed samples were in the interval 0.0057 – 0,697 mg.kg-1. Our results shows, that no analyzed samples of marine fish and animals had over-limit concetration of Hg, so they are safe for human nutrition.

A method for thickness determination of thin films of amalgamable metals by total-reflection X-ray fluorescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennun, L.; Greaves, E.D.; Barros, H.; Diaz-Valdes, J.

2009-01-01

A method for thickness determination of thin amalgamable metallic films by total-reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) is presented. The peak's intensity in TXRF spectra are directly related to the surface density of the sample, i.e. to its thickness in a homogeneous film. Performing a traditional TXRF analysis on a thin film of an amalgamated metal, and determining the relative peak intensity of a specific metal line, the layer thickness can be precisely obtained. In the case of gold thickness determination, mercury and gold peaks overlap, hence we have developed a general data processing scheme to achieve the most precise results.

Glutathione level after long-term occupational elemental mercury exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobal, Alfred Bogomir; Prezelj, Marija; Horvat, Milena; Krsnik, Mladen; Gibicar, Darija; Osredkar, Josko

2008-01-01

Many in vitro and in vivo studies have elucidated the interaction of inorganic mercury (Hg) and glutathione. However, human studies are limited. In this study, we investigated the potential effects of remote long-term intermittent occupational elemental Hg vapour (Hg o ) exposure on erythrocyte glutathione levels and some antioxidative enzyme activities in ex-mercury miners in the period after exposure. The study included 49 ex-mercury miners divided into subgroups of 28 still active, Hg o -not-exposed miners and 21 elderly retired miners, and 41 controls, age-matched to the miners subgroup. The control workers were taken from 'mercury-free works'. Reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized disulphide glutathione (GSSG) concentrations in haemolysed erythrocytes were determined by capillary electrophoresis, while total glutathione (total GSH) and the GSH/GSSG ratio were calculated from the determined values. Catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GR) activities in erythrocytes were measured using commercially available reagent kits, while urine Hg (U-Hg) concentrations were determined by cold vapour atomic absorption (CVAAS). No correlation of present U-Hg levels, GSH, GSSG, and antioxidative enzymes with remote occupational biological exposure indices were found. The mean CAT activity in miners and retired miners was significantly higher (p o could be an inductive and additive response to maintain the balance between GSH and antioxidative enzymes in interaction with the Hg body burden accumulated during remote occupational exposure, which does not represent a severely increased oxidative stress

A summary of total mercury concentrations in flora and fauna near common contaminant sources in the Gulf of Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, M; Chancy, C

2008-02-01

Total mercury concentrations are summarized for environmental media and biota collected from near-coastal areas, several impacted by contaminant sources common to the Gulf of Mexico. Water, sediment, fish, blue crabs, oysters, clams, mussels, periphyton and seagrasses were collected during 1993-2002 from targeted areas affected by point and non-point source contaminants. Mean concentrations in water and sediment were 0.02 (+/-1 standard deviation=0.06) microg l(-1) and 96.3 (230.8) ng g(-1) dry wt, respectively. Mean total mercury concentrations in fish, blue crabs, brackish clams and mussels were significantly greater than those in sediment, seagrass, colonized periphyton and oysters. Concentrations (ng g(-1) dry wt) averaged 23.1 (two seagrass species), 220.1 (oysters), 287.8 (colonized periphyton), 604.0 (four species of freshwater mussels), 772.4 (brackish clam), 857.9 (blue crabs) and 933.1 (nine fish species). Spatial, intraspecific and interspecific variability in results limited most generalizations concerning the relative mercury contributions of different stressor types. However, concentrations were significantly greater for some biota collected from areas receiving wastewater discharges and golf course runoff (fish), agricultural runoff (oysters) and urban stormwater runoff (colonized periphyton and sediment). Marine water quality criteria and proposed sediment quality guidelines were exceeded in 1-12% of total samples. At least one seafood consumption guideline, criteria or screening value were exceeded in edible tissues of blue crabs (6% total samples) and nine fish species (8-33% total samples) but all residues were less than the US Federal Drug Administration action limit of 1.0 ppm and the few reported toxic effect concentrations available for the targeted biota.

Quantitative evaluation of environmental factors influencing the dynamics of mercury in the aquatic systems. Highlights and achievements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akagi, Hirokatsu

2002-01-01

The development of a combined mercury extraction - speciation technique for total mercury and methylinercury determination in various biological and environmental media have been established to study and evaluate environmental factors influencing the dynamics of mercury in aquatic systems. Comparability studies of the results from the conventional and radiochemical techniques were planned for the 1st year of the CRP. Validation of the radiochemical method will be undertaken during the current CRP because of constraints in obtaining the appropriate radiotracers. The use of radiotracer techniques will be undertaken to investigate the generation and distribution of methylmercury in the river water - sediment systems using 203 Hg. The improved conventional analytical procedure uses the cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry for the determination of total mercury in biological and environmental samples. For methylmercury determination, samples are analyzed using combined techniques of dithizone extraction and gas chromatograpy with electron capture detection

Naked-eye sensor for rapid determination of mercury ion.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jing; Wu, Dapeng; Yan, Xiaohui; Guan, Yafeng

2013-11-15

A naked-eye paper sensor for rapid determination of trace mercury ion in water samples was designed and demonstrated. The mercury-sensing rhodamine B thiolactone was immobilized in silica matrices and the silica matrices were impregnated firmly and uniformly in the filter paper. As water samples flow through the filter paper, the membrane color will change from white to purple red, which could be observed obviously with naked eye, when concentration of mercury ions equals to or exceeds 10nM, the maximum residue level in drinking water recommended by U.S. EPA. The color change can also be recorded by a flatbed scanner and then digitized, reducing the detection limit of Hg(2+) down to 1.2 nM. Moreover, this method is extremely specific for Hg(2+) and shows a high tolerance ratio of interferent coexisting ions. The presence of Na(+) (2 mM), K(+) (2 mM), Fe(3+) (0.1 mM), Zn(2+) (0.1 mM), Mg(2+) (0.1 mM), Ni(2+) (50 μM), Co(2+) (50 μM), Cd(2+) (50 μM), Pb(2+) (50 μM), Cu(2+) (50 μM) and Ag(+) (3.5 μM) did not interfere with the detection of Hg(2+) (25 nM). Finally, the present method was applied in the detection of Hg(2+) in mineral water, tap water and pond water. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mercury's exosphere: observations during MESSENGER's First Mercury flyby.

Science.gov (United States)

McClintock, William E; Bradley, E Todd; Vervack, Ronald J; Killen, Rosemary M; Sprague, Ann L; Izenberg, Noam R; Solomon, Sean C

2008-07-04

During MESSENGER's first Mercury flyby, the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer measured Mercury's exospheric emissions, including those from the antisunward sodium tail, calcium and sodium close to the planet, and hydrogen at high altitudes on the dayside. Spatial variations indicate that multiple source and loss processes generate and maintain the exosphere. Energetic processes connected to the solar wind and magnetospheric interaction with the planet likely played an important role in determining the distributions of exospheric species during the flyby.

Direct determination of mercury in cosmetic samples by isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after dissolution with formic acid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Ying; Shi, Zeming; Zong, Qinxia; Wu, Peng; Su, Jing [Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology in Geology, College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059 (China); Liu, Rui, E-mail: liur.ray@gmail.com [Mineral Resources Chemistry Key Laboratory of Sichuan Higher Education Institutions, College of Materials and Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059 (China)

2014-02-17

Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Simple, sensitive, and accurate method is established for mercury determination in cosmetics. •The sample preparation procedure is highly simplified. •Isotope dilution efficiently eliminates matrix effect. •First report of using formic acid based method in combination with PVG-ID-ICP MS for mercury quantitation in cosmetics. -- Abstract: A new method was proposed for the accurate determination of mercury in cosmetic samples based on isotopic dilution (ID)-photochemical vapor generation (PVG)-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP MS) measurement. Cosmetic samples were directly dissolved in formic acid solution and subsequently subjected to PVG for the reduction of mercury into vapor species following by ICP MS detection. Therefore, the risks of analyte contamination and loss were avoided. Highly enriched {sup 201}Hg isotopic spike is added to cosmetics and the isotope ratios of {sup 201}Hg/{sup 202}Hg were measured for the quantitation of mercury. With ID calibration, the influences originating from sample matrixes for the determination of mercury in cosmetic samples have been efficiently eliminated. The effects of several experimental parameters, such as the concentration of the formic acid, and the flow rates of carrier gas and sample were investigated. The method provided good reproducibility and the detection limits were found to be 0.6 pg mL{sup −1}. Finally, the developed method was successfully applied for the determination of mercury in six cosmetic samples and a spike test was performed to verify the accuracy of the method.

Investigating Mercury's South Polar Deposits: Arecibo Radar Observations and High-Resolution Determination of Illumination Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Chabot, Nancy L.; Shread, Evangela E.; Harmon, John K.

2018-02-01

There is strong evidence that Mercury's polar deposits are water ice hosted in permanently shadowed regions. In this study, we present new Arecibo radar observations of Mercury's south pole, which reveal numerous radar-bright deposits and substantially increase the radar imaging coverage. We also use images from MESSENGER's full mission to determine the illumination conditions of Mercury's south polar region at the same spatial resolution as the north polar region, enabling comparisons between the two poles. The area of radar-bright deposits in Mercury's south is roughly double that found in the north, consistent with the larger permanently shadowed area in the older, cratered terrain at the south relative to the younger smooth plains at the north. Radar-bright features are strongly associated with regions of permanent shadow at both poles, consistent with water ice being the dominant component of the deposits. However, both of Mercury's polar regions show that roughly 50% of permanently shadowed regions lack radar-bright deposits, despite some of these locations having thermal environments that are conducive to the presence of water ice. The observed uneven distribution of water ice among Mercury's polar cold traps may suggest that the source of Mercury's water ice was not a steady, regular process but rather that the source was an episodic event, such as a recent, large impact on the innermost planet.

Determination of mercury in discharge water from plastic manufactory by neutron activation analysis and copper powder adsorption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Houng-Huei, L [National Tsing Hua University Hsinchu, Taiwan (Republic of China)

1979-02-28

Through copper powder adsorption, neutron activation analysis was used to determine the mercury in discharge water from a plastic manufactory where the water samples were taken from various discharge ditches. The experimental results showed that waste water from mercury cells contained 1.7x10/sup -9/ approximately 8.19x10/sup -6/ g Hg/ml while water samples taken from other areas did not show significant mercury level and were below the limit of detection.

Determination of mercury and its fractionation products in samples from legacy use of mercury amalgam in gold processing in Randfontein, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tshia Malehase

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This study aimed at determining the levels of total mercury (THg in tailings dams, soil, sediments and water samples collected in the vicinity of legacy mercury amalgam gold mines. Acid digestion was employed in sample digestion followed by analysis using CVAAS. Tailings dams, community and garden soil, and stream sediments were further investigated for mercury fractions using a five step sequential extraction procedure. The concentrations of THg in tailings dams, community and gardens soil were 0.890–6.755 μg/g, 0.431–0.968 μg/g and 0.471–1.019 μg/g, respectively and the concentrations of THg in the sediments obtained from tailings dams, streams and wetlands were 0.649–1.998 μg/g, 0.604–1.356 μg/g and 0.681–1.356 μg/g, respectively. The concentrations of THg, in aqueous samples obtained from tailings, streams and wetlands were 0.032–0.070 μg/l, 0.004–0.068 μg/l and 0.007–0.012 μg/l, respectively. The sequential extraction procedure showed that most Hg in the tailings dams was largely elemental Hg and Hg bound to sulphur. Soil and sediments were largely dominated by organic bound Hg. Moderate seasonal correlation was observed in tailings dams soil, but weak seasonal correlation in soils collected in the vicinity of tailings. However, a strong seasonal correlation was observed in sediments and water samples. The concentrations of Hg obtained largely existed in organic and sulphate bound Hg and there is elevated potential to methylate Hg.

Mercury's Surface Magnetic Field Determined from Proton-Reflection Magnetometry

Science.gov (United States)

Winslow, Reka M.; Johnson, Catherine L.; Anderson, Brian J.; Gershman, Daniel J.; Raines, Jim M.; Lillis, Robert J.; Korth, Haje; Slavin, James A.; Solomon, Sean C.; Zurbuchen, Thomas H.;

Measurement of Total Site Mercury Emissions from Chlor-Alkali Plant Using Ultraviolet Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy and Cell Room Roof-Vent Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

This technical note describes a United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) measurement project to determine elemental mercury (Hg0) emissions from a mercury cell chlor-alkali (MCCA) facility in the southeastern U.S. during a 53-day monitoring campaign in the fall of...

Solid-phase partitioning of mercury in artisanal gold mine tailings from selected key areas in Mindanao, Philippines, and its implications for mercury detoxification.

Science.gov (United States)

Opiso, Einstine M; Aseneiro, John Paul J; Banda, Marybeth Hope T; Tabelin, Carlito B

2018-03-01

The solid-phase partitioning of mercury could provide necessary data in the identification of remediation techniques in contaminated artisanal gold mine tailings. This study was conducted to determine the total mercury content of mine wastes and identify its solid-phase partitioning through selective sequential extraction coupled with cold vapour atomic absorption spectroscopy. Samples from mine tailings and the carbon-in-pulp (CIP) process were obtained from selected key areas in Mindanao, Philippines. The results showed that mercury use is still prevalent among small-scale gold miners in the Philippines. Tailings after ball mill-gravity concentration (W-BM and Li-BM samples) from Mt Diwata and Libona contained high levels of mercury amounting to 25.024 and 6.5 mg kg -1 , respectively. The most prevalent form of mercury in the mine tailings was elemental/amalgamated mercury, followed by water soluble, exchangeable, organic and strongly bound phases, respectively. In contrast, mercury content of carbon-in-pulp residues were significantly lower at only 0.3 and 0.06 mg kg -1 for P-CIP (Del Pilar) and W-CIP (Mt Diwata), respectively. The bulk of mercury in P-CIP samples was partitioned in residual fraction while in W-CIP samples, water soluble mercury predominated. Overall, this study has several important implications with regards to mercury detoxification of contaminated mine tailings from Mindanao, Philippines.

Method and apparatus for sampling atmospheric mercury

Science.gov (United States)

Trujillo, Patricio E.; Campbell, Evan E.; Eutsler, Bernard C.

1976-01-20

A method of simultaneously sampling particulate mercury, organic mercurial vapors, and metallic mercury vapor in the working and occupational environment and determining the amount of mercury derived from each such source in the sampled air. A known volume of air is passed through a sampling tube containing a filter for particulate mercury collection, a first adsorber for the selective adsorption of organic mercurial vapors, and a second adsorber for the adsorption of metallic mercury vapor. Carbon black molecular sieves are particularly useful as the selective adsorber for organic mercurial vapors. The amount of mercury adsorbed or collected in each section of the sampling tube is readily quantitatively determined by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

Ecotoxicoparasitology of the gastrointestinal tracts of pinnipeds: the effect of parasites on the potential bioavailability of total mercury (THg).

Science.gov (United States)

McGrew, Ashley K; O'Hara, Todd M; Stricker, Craig A; Salman, Mo D; Van Bonn, William; Gulland, Frances M D; Whiting, Alex; Ballweber, Lora R

2018-08-01

Acanthocephalans, cestodes, and some species of nematodes acquire nutrients from the lumen contents in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of their definitive host. These parasites are exposed to toxicants, such as mercury (Hg), through passive or active feeding mechanisms; therefore, the focus of this study was to determine if there is an effect of parasites on the dietary availability of total mercury (THg) within piscivorous pinniped hosts. THg concentrations ([THg]) in selected host tissues, parasites, and GI lumen contents from 22 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), 15 ringed seals (Phoca hispida), and 4 spotted seals (Phoca largha) were determined. Among all pinnipeds, [THg] in acanthocephalans of the large intestine were significantly higher than concentrations in other samples (host lumen contents, other parasites and host intestinal wall), irrespective of location within the host GI tract. δ 15 N values of parasites depended both on parasite group and location within the GI tract. δ 15 N values were consistently higher in parasites inhabiting the large intestine, compared to elsewhere in the GI tract, for both sea lions and seals. δ 13 C values in parasites did not differ significantly from host GI tissues. Based on both [THg] and stable isotope values, parasites are likely affecting the Hg bioavailability within the GI lumen contents and host tissues, and toxicant-parasite interactions appear to depend on both parasitic taxon as well as their location within the host intestine. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Health and environmental impact of mercury in the Philippines using nuclear techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cortes-Maramba, Nelia; Reyes, J.P.; Panganiban, L.C.P.; Francisco-Rivera, Ana Trinidad; Suplido, M.L.; Akagi, Hirokatsu

2002-01-01

Mercury pollution in most parts of the regions in the world are caused by release into the environment of metallic mercury used in the recovery of gold by an amalgamation technique with subsequent mercury emission into the atmosphere by blowtorching operations. Significant small-scale gold mining operations in other countries such as Tanzania, Philippines, Indonesia, China and Vietnam have been reported with roughly 10 million people estimated to be involved in these activities Artisanal gold mining activities using mercury has proliferated in various parts of the country since the early 1980's. In Southern Philippines, it is estimated that a small-scale gold processor utilizes one kilogram of mercury every week or an average of fifty-two kgs/1yr. Production is estimated at 30 kilograms of gold per day. It has been estimated that 140 tons of mercury flux has been dumped directly into the river systems from small-scale gold mining operations in one of the gold rush areas in the country. In the 1980's, gold rush activities intensified in Northeastern Mindanao providing livelihood opportunities to about 80,000-120,000 people at the height of mining activities in the area. In gold mining areas it should be noted that transformation in the natural environment of inorganic mercury to methylmercury occurs which can easily bio-accumulate in fish and other organisms through the aquatic food chains. Therefore, there are two main exposure pathways of mercury contamination that can affect the human population in gold mining areas. First, gold miners and workers are exposed to inorganic mercury due to direct inhalation of mercury during gold recovery processes and second, people living along the river systems and depending on riverine products for food sources can be exposed to methylmercury mainly through fish consumption. Presently, environmental and health monitoring conducted by several government agencies in the recent past were limited to the determination of total

Comparative analysis of total mercury concentrations in anadromous and non-anadromous Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) from eastern Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velden, S. van der; Evans, M.S.; Dempson, J.B.; Muir, D.C.G.; Power, M.

2013-01-01

Previous research has documented that total mercury concentrations ([THg]) are lower in anadromous Arctic charr than in non-anadromous conspecifics, but the two life-history forms have rarely been studied together. Here, data from nine pairs of closely-located anadromous and non-anadromous Arctic charr populations were used to explore the impact of biological and life-history factors on individual [THg] across a range of latitudes (49–81° N) in eastern Canada. Unadjusted mean [THg] ranged from 20 to 114 ng/g wet weight (ww) in anadromous populations, and was significantly higher in non-anadromous populations, ranging from 111 to 227 ng/g ww. Within-population variations in [THg] were best explained by fish age, and were often positively related to fork-length and δ 15 N-inferred trophic level. Differences in [THg] were not related to differences in length-at-age (i.e., average somatic growth rate) among populations of either life-history type. Mercury concentrations were not related to site latitude in either the anadromous or non-anadromous fish. We conclude that the difference in Arctic charr [THg] with life-history type could not be explained by differences in fish age, fork-length, trophic position, or length-at-age, and discuss possible factors contributing to low mercury concentrations in anadromous, relative to freshwater, fish. - Highlights: ► Total mercury concentrations ([THg]) were measured in 9 co-located anadromous and non-anadromous Arctic charr populations. ► Mean [THg] in non-anadromous populations exceeded mean [THg] in spatially paired anadromous populations. ► Among-individual variation in [THg] was best explained by fish age. ► The lower [THg] in anadromous fish could not be explained by differences in age, fork-length, trophic level, or growth rate. ► Variations in Arctic charr [THg] were independent of latitude (49–81° N) in eastern Canada

Watershed and discharge influences on the phase distribution and tributary loading of total mercury and methylmercury into Lake Superior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babiarz, Christopher; Hoffmann, Stephen; Wieben, Ann; Hurley, James; Andren, Anders; Shafer, Martin; Armstrong, David

2012-01-01

Knowledge of the partitioning and sources of mercury are important to understanding the human impact on mercury levels in Lake Superior wildlife. Fluvial fluxes of total mercury (Hg T ) and methylmercury (MeHg) were compared to discharge and partitioning trends in 20 sub-basins having contrasting land uses and geological substrates. The annual tributary yield was correlated with watershed characteristics and scaled up to estimate the basin-wide loading. Tributaries with clay sediments and agricultural land use had the largest daily yields with maxima observed near the peak in water discharge. Roughly 42% of Hg T and 57% of MeHg was delivered in the colloidal phase. Tributary inputs, which are confined to near-shore zones of the lake, may be more important to the food-web than atmospheric sources. The annual basin-wide loading from tributaries was estimated to be 277 kg yr −1 Hg T and 3.4 kg yr −1 MeHg (5.5 and 0.07 mg km −2 d −1 , respectively). - Highlights: ► The highest mercury yields occurred during spring melt except in forested watersheds. ► Roughly half of the mercury yield occurred in the colloidal phase. ► About 277 kg of Hg T and 3.4 kg of MeHg were delivered annually via tributaries. ► Whole-water MeHg loading was roughly equivalent to the estimated atmospheric loading. ► Watersheds with peat, loam or sandy soils deliver more MeHg than those with clays. - Tributary inputs, which are confined to the near-shore zones of Lake Superior, provide more mercury to these sensitive aquatic habitats than direct atmospheric deposition.

Biological and life-history factors affecting total mercury concentrations in Arctic charr from Heintzelman Lake, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velden, Shannon van der; Reist, James D.; Babaluk, John A.; Power, Michael

2012-01-01

A snapshot sample of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) from Heintzelman Lake (81°42′N, 66°56′W), Ellesmere Island, Canada was used to elucidate the biological and life-history factors potentially influencing individual total mercury (THg) concentrations. Migratory history was significant, with anadromous fish having a lower mean THg concentration (64 μg/kg ww) than the non-anadromous Arctic charr (117 μg/kg ww). The increase in individual THg concentration with age was shown to be independent of length-at-age when large and small individuals within the same age groups were compared. Similarly, the diets of individual Arctic charr were comparable regardless of size, and there was no apparent ontogenetic shift in diet that could explain differences in length-at-age or THg concentration among fast- and slow-growing groups of fish (i.e., fish of the same age but differing sizes). Maturity state was also not related to THg concentration, but appears to be related to differences in length-at-age, with slow-growing fish allocating more energy to reproduction than fast-growing conspecifics. The differences in THg concentration among individual Arctic charr were best explained by fish age. We suggest that the increase in mercury concentration with age can be altered by a shift in diet (e.g., to piscivory) or habitat (e.g., anadromy), but is otherwise unaffected by changes in size or length-at-age. -- Highlights: ► Total mercury concentrations ([THg]) were measured in Arctic charr from a single lake in the Canadian high Arctic. ► Anadromous Arctic charr had a significantly lower mean [THg] (64 μg/kg ww) than the non-anadromous fish (117 μg/kg ww). ► Length-at-age (i.e., average somatic growth rate) was not related to mean [THg] when same-age groups were compared. ► Prey resource use, determined by δ 13 C and δ 15 N isotopes and gut contents, was similar among fast- and slow-growing fish. ► Maturity state was not related to [THg], but the slow

EDITORIAL: Mercury-free discharges for lighting

Science.gov (United States)

Haverlag, M.

2007-07-01

This special Cluster of articles in Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics covers the subject of mercury-free discharges that are being investigated by different light source researchers, as an alternative to existing mercury-containing lamps. The main driving force to move away from mercury-containing discharge light sources is connected to the environmentally unfriendly nature of mercury. After inhalation or direct contact, severe mercury exposure can lead to damage to human brain cells, the kidneys, the liver and the nervous system. For this reason, the use of mercury in products is becoming more and more restricted by different governmental bodies. In the lighting industry, however, many products still make use of mercury, for different reasons. The main reason is that mercury-containing products are, in most cases, more efficient than mercury-free products. For a realistic comparison of the environmental impact, the mercury-contamination due to electricity production must be taken into account, which depends on the type of fuel being used. For an average European fuel-mix, the amount of mercury that is released into the environment is around 29 μg kWh-1. This means that a typical 30 W TL lamp during a lifetime of 20,000 hours will release a total of about 20 mg mercury due to electricity production, which exceeds the total mercury dose in the lamp (more and more of which is being recycled) by a factor of 5-10 for a modern TL lamp. This illustrates that, quite apart from other environmental arguments like increased CO2 production, mercury-free alternatives that use more energy can in fact be detrimental for the total mercury pollution over the lifetime of the lamp. For this reason, the lighting industry has concentrated on lowering the mercury content in lamps as long as no efficient alternatives exist. Nevertheless, new initiatives for HID lamps and fluorescent lamps with more or less equal efficiency are underway, and a number of them are described in this

Thiosulphate assisted phytoextraction of mercury contaminated soils at the Wanshan Mercury Mining District, Southwest China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Wang

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Wanshan, known as the “Mercury Capital” of China, is located in the Southwest of China. Due to the extensive mining and smelting works in the Wanshan area, the local ecosystem has been serious contaminated with mercury. In the present study, a number of soil samples were taken from the Wanshan mercury mining area and the mercury fractionations in soils were analyzed using sequential extraction procedure technique. The obtained results showed that the dominate mercury fractions (represent 95% of total mercury were residual and organic bound mercury. A field trial was conducted in a mercury polluted farmland at the Wanshan mercury mine. Four plant species Brassica juncea Czern. et Coss.var. ASKYC (ASKYC, Brassica juncea Czern. et Coss.var.DPDH (DPDH, Brassica juncea Czern. et Coss.var.CHBD(CHBD, Brassica juncea Czern. et Coss.var.LDZY (LDZY were tested their ability to extract mercury from soil with thiosulphate amendment. The results indicated that the mercury concentration in the roots and shoots of the four plants were significantly increased with thiosulphate treatment. The mercury phytoextraction yield of ASKYC, DPDH, CHBD and LDZY were 92, 526, 294 and 129 g/ha, respectively

Thiosulphate assisted phytoextraction of mercury contaminated soils at the Wanshan Mercury Mining District, Southwest China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J Wang

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Wanshan, known as the “Mercury Capital” of China, is located in the Southwest of China. Due to the extensive mining and smelting works in the Wanshan area, the local ecosystem has been serious contaminated with mercury. In the present study, a number of soil samples were taken from the Wanshan mercury mining area and the mercury fractionations in soils were analyzed using sequential extraction procedure technique. The obtained results showed that the dominate mercury fractions (represent 95% of total mercury were residual and organic bound mercury. A field trial was conducted in a mercury polluted farmland at the Wanshan mercury mine. Four plant species Brassica juncea Czern. et Coss.var. ASKYC (ASKYC, Brassica juncea Czern. et Coss.var.DPDH (DPDH, Brassica juncea Czern. et Coss.var.CHBD(CHBD, Brassica juncea Czern. et Coss.var.LDZY (LDZY were tested their ability to extract mercury from soil with thiosulphate amendment. The results indicated that the mercury concentration in the roots and shoots of the four plants were significantly increased with thiosulphate treatment. The mercury phytoextraction yield of ASKYC, DPDH, CHBD and LDZY were 92, 526, 294 and 129 g/ha, respectively.

Solid phase extraction and spectrophotometric determination of mercury in tobacco and tobacco additives with 5-(p-aminobenzylidene)-thiothiorhodanine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Weizhu; Yang, Guangyu

2006-01-01

A highly sensitive, selective and rapid method for the determination of mercury based on the rapid reaction of mercury(II) with 5-(p-aminobenzylidene)-thiorhodanine (ABTR) and the solid phase extraction of the colored chelate with C 18 disks has been developed. At pH 3.5 and in the presence of emulsifier-OP medium, ABTR reacts with mercury(II) to form a red chelate of a 1:2 (mercury to ABTR) molar ratio. This chelate was enriched by solid phase extraction with C 18 disks and the retained chelate eluted form the disks with dimethyl formamide (DMF). An enrichment factor of 50 was achieved. In the DMF medium, the molar absorptivity of the chelate is 1.21 X 10 5 L mol -1 cm -1 at 545 nm, and Beer's law is obeyed in the 0.01∼3 μg mL -1 range in the measured solution. The relative standard deviation for eleven sample replicate measurements at the 0.01 μg mL -1 level is 1.7%. This method was applied to the determination of mercury in tobacco and tobacco additives and good preconcentration was found between proposed and comparative methods results. (author)

Metalloproteomics Approach to Analyze Mercury in Breast Milk and Hair Samples of Lactating Women in Communities of the Amazon Basin, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Cerbino, M R; Vieira, José Cavalcante Souza; Braga, C P; Oliveira, G; Padilha, I F; Silva, T M; Zara, L F; Silva, N J; Padilha, P M

2018-02-01

Mercury is a potentially toxic element that is present in the environment of the Brazilian Amazon and is responsible for adverse health effects in humans. This study sought to assess possible protein biomarkers of mercury exposure in breast milk samples from lactating women in the Madeira and Negro Rivers in the Brazilian Amazon. The mercury content of hair samples of lactating women was determined, and the proteome of breast milk samples was obtained using two-dimensional electrophoresis after protein precipitation with acetone. Mercury measurements of protein spots obtained via protein fractionation were performed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS), and it was observed that mercury is linked to proteins with molecular masses in the range of 14-26 kDa. The total mercury concentration was also determined by GFAAS in unprocessed milk, lyophilized milk, and protein pellets, with the purpose of determining the mercury mass balance in relation to the concentration of this element in milk and pellets. Approximately 85 to 97% of mercury present in the lyophilized milk from samples of lactating women of the Madeira River is bound in the protein fraction. From lactating women of the Negro River, approximately 49% of the total mercury is bound in the protein fraction, and a difference of 51% is bound in the lipid fraction.

Mercury content in Hot Springs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakagawa, R

1974-01-01

A method of determination of mercury in hot spring waters by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry is described. Further, the mercury content and the chemical behavior of the elementary mercury in hot springs are described. Sulfide and iodide ions interfered with the determination of mercury by the reduction-vapor phase technique. These interferences could, however, be minimized by the addition of potassium permanganate. Waters collected from 55 hot springs were found to contain up to 26.0 ppb mercury. High concentrations of mercury have been found in waters from Shimoburo Springs, Aomori (10.0 ppb), Osorezan Springs, Aomori (1.3 approximately 18.8 ppb), Gosyogake Springs, Akita (26.0 ppb), Manza Springs, Gunma (0.30 approximately 19.5 ppb) and Kusatu Springs, Gunma (1.70 approximately 4.50 ppb). These hot springs were acid waters containing a relatively high quantity of chloride or sulfate.

Mercury speciation comparison. BrooksApplied Laboratories and Eurofins Frontier Global Sciences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bannochie, C. J. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Wilmarth, W. R. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2016-12-16

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) was tasked with preparing and shipping samples for Hg speciation by Eurofins Frontier Global Sciences (FGS), Inc. in Bothell, WA on behalf of the Savannah River Remediation (SRR) Mercury Program Team. These samples were analyzed for seven species including: total mercury, dissolved mercury, inorganic mercury ((Hg(I) and Hg(II)), elemental mercury, methylmercury, ethylmercury, and dimethylmercury, with an eighth species, particulate mercury, calculated from the difference between total and dissolved mercury after subtracting the elemental mercury. The species fraction of total mercury measured has ranged broadly from a low of 32% to a high of 146%, though the vast majority of samples have been <100%. This can be expected since one is summing multiple values that each have at least a ± 20% measurement uncertainty. Two liquid waste tanks particularly important to understanding the distribution of mercury species in the Savannah River Site (SRS) Tank Farm were selected for a round robin analysis by Eurofins FGS and BrooksApplied Laboratories (BAL). The analyses conducted by BAL on the Tank 22 and 38 samples and their agreement with those obtained from Eurofins FGS for total mercury, dissolved mercury, methylmercury, ethylmercury, and dimethylmercury provide a strong degree of confidence in these species measurements

Mercury speciation comparison. BrooksApplied Laboratories and Eurofins Frontier Global Sciences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bannochie, C. J.; Wilmarth, W. R.

2016-01-01

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) was tasked with preparing and shipping samples for Hg speciation by Eurofins Frontier Global Sciences (FGS), Inc. in Bothell, WA on behalf of the Savannah River Remediation (SRR) Mercury Program Team. These samples were analyzed for seven species including: total mercury, dissolved mercury, inorganic mercury ((Hg(I) and Hg(II)), elemental mercury, methylmercury, ethylmercury, and dimethylmercury, with an eighth species, particulate mercury, calculated from the difference between total and dissolved mercury after subtracting the elemental mercury. The species fraction of total mercury measured has ranged broadly from a low of 32% to a high of 146%, though the vast majority of samples have been <100%. This can be expected since one is summing multiple values that each have at least a ± 20% measurement uncertainty. Two liquid waste tanks particularly important to understanding the distribution of mercury species in the Savannah River Site (SRS) Tank Farm were selected for a round robin analysis by Eurofins FGS and BrooksApplied Laboratories (BAL). The analyses conducted by BAL on the Tank 22 and 38 samples and their agreement with those obtained from Eurofins FGS for total mercury, dissolved mercury, methylmercury, ethylmercury, and dimethylmercury provide a strong degree of confidence in these species measurements

Mercury contamination in Khramulia (Capoeta capoeta) from the Cheshme Kile and Zarrin Gol Rivers in Iran and human health risk assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Malvandi, Hassan; Sari, Abbas Esmaili; Aliabadian, Mansour

2014-10-01

Total mercury concentrations were determined in muscle tissue of Khramulia (Capoeta capoeta) captured in the Cheshme Kile and Zarrin Gol Rivers, Iran. In Cheshme Kile River, 49 fish samples were collected. The mean total mercury concentration in the muscles of C. capoeta from this area was 249 ng g(-1) dw. In Zarrin Gol River, where 62 fish samples were collected, the total mercury in muscles averaged 164 ng g(-1) dw. A significant difference was found between means of mercury in the rivers (p rivers had mean mercury concentrations below the maximum allowable limits for mercury set by the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization, Standardization Administration of China and Environmental Protection Agency. The results of this study indicate that the values of hazard target quotient and estimated weekly intake are low and represent a negligible risk for human health.

Mercury concentrations in cattle from NW Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

López Alonso, M; Benedito, J L; Miranda, M; Castillo, C; Hernández, J; Shore, R F

2003-01-20

Mercury is a toxic metal that is released into the environment as a result of various industrial and agricultural processes. It can be accumulated by domestic animals and so contaminate human foodstuffs. To date, there is no information on mercury residues in livestock in Spain and the aim of the present study was to quantify the concentrations of mercury in cattle in two of the major regions in north-west Spain, Galicia (a largely rural region) and Asturias, which is characterised by heavy industry and mining. Total mercury concentrations were determined in tissue (liver, kidney and muscle) and blood from 284 calves (6-10 months old) and 56 cows (2-16 years old) from across the whole of the two regions. Mercury was usually detected in the kidney (62.4-87.5% of samples) but most (79.5-96%) liver, muscle and blood samples did not contain detectable residues. Renal mercury concentrations did not differ between male and female calves but were significantly greater in female calves than in cows. Unexpectedly, kidney mercury concentrations were significantly higher in calves from the predominantly rural region of Galicia (geometric mean: 12.2 microg/kg w.wt.) than in animals from the industrialised-mining region of Asturias (3.40 microg/kg w.wt.). Overall, mercury residues in cattle from NW Spain were similar to those reported in cattle from non-polluted areas in other countries and do not constitute a risk to animal or human health. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

First Measurements of Ambient Total Gaseous Mercury (TGM at the EvK2CNR Pyramid Observatory in Nepal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gratz L. E.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available As part of the Global Mercury Observation System (GMOS project, a global-scale network of ground-based atmospheric monitoring sites is being developed with the objective of expanding the global coverage of atmospheric mercury (Hg measurements and improving our understanding of global atmospheric Hg transport. An important addition to the GMOS monitorng network has been the high altitude EvK2CNR Pyramid Observatory, located at an elevation of 5,050 meters a.s.l. in the eastern Himalaya Mountains of Nepal. Monitoring of total gaseous mercury (TGM using the Tekran 2537A Mercury Vapor Analyzer began at the EvK2CNR Pyramid Observatory in November 2011. From 17 November 2011 to 23 April 2012, the mean concentration of TGM at the Pyramid was 1.2 ng m−3. A range of concentrations from 0.7 to 2.6 ng m−3 has been observed. These are the first reported measurements of atmospheric Hg in Nepal, and currently this is the highest altitude monitoring station for atmospheric Hg in the world. It is anticipated that these high quality measurements, in combination with the other continuous atmospheric measurments being collected at the Pyramid station, will help to further our understanding of Hg concentrations in the free troposphere and the transport of atmospheric Hg on the global scale.

The determination of mercury content in the biomass untended for industrial power plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wiktor Magdalena

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Biomass is one of the oldest and most widely used renewable energy sources. The biomass is the whole organic matter of vegetable or animal origin which is biodegradable. Biomass includes leftovers from agricultural production, forestry residues, and industrial and municipal waste. The use of biomass in the power industry has become a standard and takes place in Poland and other European countries. This paper discusses the correlation of mercury content in different biomass types used in the power industry and in products of biomass combustion. Different biomass types, which are currently burned in a commercial power plant in Poland, were discussed. A photographic documentation of different biomass types, such as straw briquettes, wood briquettes, pellets from energy crops (sunflower husk and wood husk, wood pellets, wood chips, and agro-biomass (seeds was carried out. The presented paper discusses the results obtained for 15 biomass samples. Five selected biomass samples were burned in controlled conditions in the laboratory at the University of Silesia. The ash resulting from the combustion of five biomass samples was tested for mercury content. A total of twenty biomass samples and its combustion products were tested. Based on the obtained results, it was found that any supply of biomass, regardless of its type, is characterized by variable mercury content in dry matter. In the case of e.g. wood chips, the spread of results reaches 235.1 μm/kg (in dry matter. Meanwhile, the highest mercury content, 472.4 μm/kg (in dry matter was recorded in the biomass of straw, wood pellets, and pellets from energy crops (sunflower husk. In the case of combustion products of five selected biomass types, a three or four fold increase in the mercury content has been observed.

Mercury pollution in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hajeb, Parvaneh; Jinap, S; Ismail, Ahmad; Mahyudin, Nor Ainy

2012-01-01

Although several studies have been published on levels of mercury contamination of the environment, and of food and human tissues in Peninsular Malaysia, there is a serious dearth of research that has been performed in East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak). Industry is rapidly developing in East Malaysia, and, hence, there is a need for establishing baseline levels of mercury contamination in environmental media in that part of the country by performing monitoring studies. Residues of total mercury and inorganic in food samples have been determined in nearly all previous studies that have been conducted; however, few researchers have analyzed samples for the presence of methlymercury residues. Because methylmercury is the most toxic form of mercury, and because there is a growing public awareness of the risk posed by methylmercury exposure that is associated with fish and seafood consumption, further monitoring studies on methylmercury in food are also essential. From the results of previous studies, it is obvious that the economic development in Malaysia, in recent years, has affected the aquatic environment of the country. Primary areas of environmental concern are centered on the rivers of the west Peninsular Malaysian coast, and the coastal waters of the Straits of Malacca, wherein industrial activities are rapidly expanding. The sources of existing mercury input to both of these areas of Malaysia should be studied and identified. Considering the high levels of mercury that now exists in human tissues, efforts should be continued, and accelerated in the future, if possible, to monitor mercury contamination levels in the coastal states, and particularly along the west Peninsular Malaysian coast. Most studies that have been carried out on mercury residues in environmental samples are dated, having been conducted 20-30 years ago; therefore, the need to collect much more and more current data is urgent. Furthermore, establishing baseline levels of mercury exposure to

Role of bacteria in bioaccumulation of mercury in the oyster Crassostrea virginica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sayler, G.S.; Nelson, J.D. Jr.; Colwell, R.R.

1975-01-01

An investigation of mercury-resistant bacteria was undertaken to determine their role in the accumulation of mercury in a simplified food chain. Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) were maintained in a closed system, sealed aquarium with stirred, aerated water containing 10 μg of 203 HgCl 2 per liter. Uptake of 203 Hg by oysters held under control conditions was compared with that of 203 Hg uptake by oysters under similar conditions except that mercury-accumulating and mercury-metabolizing species of Pseudomonsa, isolated from Chesapeake Bay, were added to the experimental oysters. After incubation for 4 days, the major portion of the 203 Hg in the water column was found to be associated with the microparticulate fraction, corresponding to a rise in total viable count. Mercury accumulation in the oysters was significantly higher in the gill and fisceral tissue than other tissues. Mercury concentrations were 200 times greater in tissue fractions of oysters dosed with mercury-metabolizing bacteria compared with the oysters held under control conditions without mercury-metabolizing bacteria. (U.S.)

Potential application of a semi-quantitative method for mercury determination in soils, sediments and gold mining residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yallouz, A.V.; Cesar, R.G.; Egler, S.G.

2008-01-01

An alternative, low cost method for analyzing mercury in soil, sediment and gold mining residues was developed, optimized and applied to 30 real samples. It is semiquantitative, performed using an acid extraction pretreatment step, followed by mercury reduction and collection in a detecting paper containing cuprous iodide. A complex is formed with characteristic color whose intensity is proportional to mercury concentration in the original sample. The results are reported as range of concentration and the minimum detectable is 100 ng/g. Method quality assurance was performed by comparing results obtained using the alternative method and the Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrometry techniques. The average results from duplicate analysis by CVAAS were 100% coincident with alternative method results. The method is applicable for screening tests and can be used in regions where a preliminary diagnosis is necessary, at programs of environmental surveillance or by scientists interested in investigating mercury geochemistry. - Semi-quantitative low-cost method for mercury determination in soil, sediments and mining residues

Evaluation of mercury speciation and removal through air pollution control devices of a 190 MW boiler.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Chengli; Cao, Yan; Dong, Zhongbing; Cheng, Chinmin; Li, Hanxu; Pan, Weiping

2010-01-01

Air pollution control devices (APCDs) are installed at coal-fired power plants for air pollutant regulation. Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems have the co-benefits of air pollutant and mercury removal. Configuration and operational conditions of APCDs and mercury speciation affect mercury removal efficiently at coal-fired utilities. The Ontario Hydro Method (OHM) recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was used to determine mercury speciation simultaneously at five sampling locations through SCR-ESP-FGD at a 190 MW unit. Chlorine in coal had been suggested as a factor affecting the mercury speciation in flue gas; and low-chlorine coal was purported to produce less oxidized mercury (Hg2+) and more elemental mercury (Hg0) at the SCR inlet compared to higher chlorine coal. SCR could oxidize elemental mercury into oxidized mercury when SCR was in service, and oxidation efficiency reached 71.0%. Therefore, oxidized mercury removal efficiency was enhanced through a wet FGD system. In the non-ozone season, about 89.5%-96.8% of oxidized mercury was controlled, but only 54.9%-68.8% of the total mercury was captured through wet FGD. Oxidized mercury removal efficiency was 95.9%-98.0%, and there was a big difference in the total mercury removal efficiencies from 78.0% to 90.2% in the ozone season. Mercury mass balance was evaluated to validate reliability of OHM testing data, and the ratio of mercury input in the coal to mercury output at the stack was from 0.84 to 1.08.

Influence of the forest canopy on total and methyl mercury deposition in the boreal forest

Science.gov (United States)

E.L. Witt; R.K. Kolka; E.A. Nater; T.R. Wickman

2009-01-01

Atmospheric mercury deposition by wet and dry processes contributes mercury to terrestrial and aquatic systems. Factors influencing the amount of mercury deposited to boreal forests were identified in this study. Throughfall and open canopy precipitation samples were collected in 2005 and 2006 using passive precipitation collectors from pristine sites located across...

Mercury Levels in Locally Manufactured Mexican Skin-Lightening Creams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luz O. Leal

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Mercury is considered one of the most toxic elements for plants and animals. Nevertheless, in the Middle East, Asia and Latin America, whitening creams containing mercury are being manufactured and purchased, despite their obvious health risks. Due to the mass distribution of these products, this can be considered a global public health issue. In Mexico, these products are widely available in pharmacies, beauty aid and health stores. They are used for their skin lightening effects. The aim of this work was to analyze the mercury content in some cosmetic whitening creams using the cold vapor technique coupled with atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS. A total of 16 skin-lightening creams from the local market were investigated. No warning information was noted on the packaging. In 10 of the samples, no mercury was detected. The mercury content in six of the samples varied between 878 and 36,000 ppm, despite the fact that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA has determined that the limit for mercury in creams should be less than 1 ppm. Skin creams containing mercury are still available and commonly used in Mexico and many developing countries, and their contents are poorly controlled.

Assessing Trophic Position and Mercury Accumulation in Sanpping Turtles

Science.gov (United States)

This study determined the trophic position and the total mercury concentrations of snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) captured from 26 freshwater sites in Rhode Island. Turtles were captured in baited wire cages, and a non-lethal sampling technique was used in which tips of ...

Interspecific and intraspecific variation in selenium:mercury molar ratios in saltwater fish from the Aleutians: Potential protection on mercury toxicity by selenium

Science.gov (United States)

Burger, Joanna; Gochfeld, Michael; Jeitner, Christian; Donio, Mark; Pittfield, Taryn

2014-01-01

A number of factors affect the consumption risk from mercury in fish, including mercury levels, seasonal patterns of mercury concentrations, human consumption patterns, and sensitive populations (e.g. pregnant women, fetuses, young children, and yet unknown genetic factors). Recently the protective effects of selenium on methylmercury toxicity have been publicized, particularly for saltwater fish. We examine levels of mercury and selenium in several species of fish and seabirds from the Aleutians (Alaska), determine selenium:mercury molar ratios, and examine species-specific and individual variation in the ratios as a means of exploring the use of the ratio in risk assessment and risk management. Variation among species was similar for mercury and selenium. There was significant inter-specific and intraspecific variation in selenium:mercury molar ratios for fish, and for birds. The mean selenium:mercury molar ratios for all fish and bird species were above 1, meaning there was an excess of selenium relative to mercury. It has been suggested that an excess of selenium confers some protective advantage for salt water fish, although the degree of excess necessary is unclear. The selenium:mercury molar ratio was significantly correlated negatively with total length for most fish species, but not for dolly varden. Some individuals of Pacific cod, yellow irish lord, rock greenling, Pacific halibut, dolly varden, and to a lesser extent, flathead sole, had selenium:mercury ratios below 1. No bird muscle had an excess of mercury (ratio below 1), and only glaucous-winged gull and pigeon guillemot had ratios between 1 and 5. There was a great deal of variation in selenium:mercury molar ratios within fish species, and within bird species, making it difficult and impractical to use these ratios in risk assessment or management, for fish advisories, or for consumers, particularly given the difficulty of interpreting the ratios. PMID:22664537

Mercury in fish from the Madeira River and health risk to Amazonian and riverine populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Soares, José Maria; Gomes, José M; Anjos, Marcelo R; Silveira, Josianne N; Custódio, Flavia B; Gloria, M Beatriz A

2018-07-01

The objective of this study was to quantify total mercury in highly popular Amazonian fish pacu, curimatã, jaraqui, and sardinha from the Madeira River and to estimate the exposure to methylmercury from fish consumption. The samples were obtained from two locations - Puruzinho Igarapé and Santa Rosa - near Humaitá, Amazonia, Brazil in two seasons of 2015 (high and low waters). The fish were identified, weighed and measured, and lipids were quantified. Total mercury was determined by gold amalgamation-atomic absorption spectrometry. Mean levels were used to calculate exposure of Amazonian and riverine populations. There was significant correlation (p < 0.05) between length × weight for all fish; length × lipid and weight × lipid were significant only for pacu. Total mercury levels varied along muscle tissue for the fish, except for sardinha; therefore muscle from the dorsal area along the fish were sampled, homogenized and used for analysis. The levels of total mercury varied from 0.01 to 0.46 mg/kg, with higher median levels in sardinha (0.24 mg/kg), followed by curimatã (0.16 mg/kg), jaraqui (0.13 mg/kg) and pacu (0.04 mg/kg), corresponding with the respective feeding habits along the trophic chain. Total mercury levels were not affected by the location of fish capture and by high and low waters seasons. Total mercury correlated significantly with length and weight for jaraqui and with length for sardinha (negative correlation). Total mercury levels in fish complied with legislation; however, exposures to methylmercury from fish consumption overpassed the safe intake reference dose for sardinha for Amazonians; however, for the riverine communities, all of the fish would cause potential health risk, mainly for children and women of childbearing age. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The mercury burden of the Czech population: An integrated approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Puklová, Vladimíra; Krsková, Andrea; Cerná, Milena; Cejchanová, Mája; Rehůrková, Irena; Ruprich, Jirí; Kratzer, Karel; Kubínová, Růzena; Zimová, Magdaléna

2010-07-01

In this paper an integrated approach in assessment of the population exposure from various sources of total mercury (THg) oral intake in the Czech Republic is presented. The information on total mercury levels in diet, drinking water, surface urban soil and body fluids and tissues stem from the Czech national Environmental Health Monitoring System (EHMS) operated since 1994. The THg concentration was determined by the special atomic absorption spectrophotometer AMA 254. The data on THg content in food from the sales network were collected in 12 cities. The estimated average dietary intake representing more than 95% of weight of usual diet composition ranged 1-2% of the JECFA/FAO WHO provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) value for total mercury (5 microg/kg b.w./week). Data on drinking water quality stem from the nationwide monitoring database. The content of THg in drinking water is generally low; only 0.2% of the Czech population supplied with drinking water from the distribution networks (total of 92% of the population) has a mercury intake from drinking water higher than 1% PTWI and not exceeding 5% PTWI. The estimation of potential mercury intake by unintentional consumption of soil in small children was based on THg content in surface soil of a total of 324 nursery schools in 24 cities and towns. Median value was 0.16 mg/kg. Human biomonitoring was performed in 9 Czech cities. In 2007, the mercury median values in blood of adults (N=412) were 0.85 and 0.89 microg/l in males and in females, respectively; urine median value in adults was 1.10 microg/g creatinine. In 2008, the blood median value in children (N=324) amounted to 0.35 microg/l; urine median value is 0.16 microg/g creatinine. In children's hair the median THg value was 0.18 microg/g. The correlation between fish consumption and blood THg levels was observed in both adults and children. Also the biomonitoring outputs did not reveal a substantial burden of the population. Copyright 2010 Elsevier

Mercury adsorption properties of sulfur-impregnated adsorbents

Science.gov (United States)

Hsi, N.-C.; Rood, M.J.; Rostam-Abadi, M.; Chen, S.; Chang, R.

2002-01-01

Carbonaceous and noncarbonaceous adsorbents were impregnated with elemental sulfur to evaluate the chemical and physical properties of the adsorbents and their equilibrium mercury adsorption capacities. Simulated coal combustion flue gas conditions were used to determine the equilibrium adsorption capacities for Hg0 and HgCl2 gases to better understand how to remove mercury from gas streams generated by coal-fired utility power plants. Sulfur was deposited onto the adsorbents by monolayer surface deposition or volume pore filling. Sulfur impregnation increased the total sulfur content and decreased the total and micropore surface areas and pore volumes for all of the adsorbents tested. Adsorbents with sufficient amounts of active adsorption sites and sufficient microporous structure had mercury adsorption capacities up to 4,509 ??g Hg/g adsorbent. Elemental sulfur, organic sulfur, and sulfate were formed on the adsorbents during sulfur impregnation. Correlations were established with R2>0.92 between the equilibrium Hg0/HgCl2 adsorption capacities and the mass concentrations of elemental and organic sulfur. This result indicates that elemental and organic sulfur are important active adsorption sites for Hg0 and HgCl2.

MODELING MERCURY CONTROL WITH POWDERED ACTIVATED CARBON

Science.gov (United States)

The paper presents a mathematical model of total mercury removed from the flue gas at coal-fired plants equipped with powdered activated carbon (PAC) injection for Mercury control. The developed algorithms account for mercury removal by both existing equipment and an added PAC in...

Development of the neutron activation technique for mercury determination and its application for search of new fields of hydrocarbon raw materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakiev, S-n.A.; Kuldjanov, B.K.; Rakhmanov, J.; Salimova, G.; Tashimova, F.; Bakiev, S-m.A.

2010-01-01

The increased contents of mercury were observed around of hydrocarbonic raw material fields in the last years. But an inverse question is open - whether these contents can serve as an evidence for presence of such fields. To give an answer, a method of neutron-activation analysis for mercury determination in water and soil samples has been developed. A way of chemical mercury fixation in samples has been developed to avoid mercury volatilization during sampling and neutron irradiation. (authors)

Atmospheric wet deposition of mercury in North America

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sweet, C.W.; Prestbo, E.; Brunette, B.

1999-07-01

Currently, 39 states in the US and 5 Canadian provinces have issued advisories about the dangers of eating mercury-contaminated fish taken from waters within their boundaries. The problem is most severe in the Great Lakes region, the Northeast US states, the Canadian maritime provinces, and in south Florida where many lakes and streams contain fish with concentrations of 1 ppm or higher. For many rural and remote locations, atmospheric deposition is the primary source of mercury. In 1995, the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) initiated a program to monitor total mercury and methylmercury (MMHg) in wet deposition (rain and snow) in North America. In this program, the Mercury Deposition Network (MDN), individual monitoring sites are funded and operated by a variety of local, state, and federal agencies. However, sampling and analysis are coordinated through a central laboratory so that all of the samples are collected and analyzed using the same protocols. Weekly wet-only precipitation samples are collected using an all-glass sampling train and special handling techniques. Analysis is by cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry using USEPA Method 1631 for total mercury. Nearly 40 MDN sites are in operation in 1999. Most of the sites are in the eastern US and Canada. During 1996 and 1997, the volume-weighted mean concentration of total mercury in precipitation collected at 22 sites ranged from 6.0 to 18.9 ng/L. Annual deposition varied between 2.1 and 25.3 {micro} g/m{sup 2}. The average weekly wet deposition of total mercury is more than three times higher in the summer (June-August) than in the winter (December-February). This increase is due to both higher amounts of precipitation and higher concentrations of mercury in precipitation during the summer. The highest values for mercury concentration in precipitation and wet deposition of mercury were measured in the southeastern US.

Mercury in terrestrial forested systems with highly elevated mercury deposition in southwestern China: The risk to insects and potential release from wildfires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Jun; Wang, Zhangwei; Sun, Ting; Zhang, Huan; Zhang, Xiaoshan

2016-01-01

Forests are considered a pool of mercury in the global mercury cycle. However, few studies have investigated the distribution of mercury in the forested systems in China. Tieshanping forest catchment in southwest China was impacted by mercury emissions from industrial activities and coal combustions. Our work studied mercury content in atmosphere, soil, vegetation and insect with a view to estimating the potential for mercury release during forest fires. Results of the present study showed that total gaseous mercury (TGM) was highly elevated and the annual mean concentration was 3.51 ± 1.39 ng m"−"2. Of the vegetation tissues, the mercury concentration follows the order of leaf/needle > root > bark > branch > bole wood for each species. Total ecosystem mercury pool was 103.5 mg m"−"2 and about 99.4% of the mercury resides in soil layers (0–40 cm). The remaining 0.6% (0.50 mg m"−"2) of mercury was stored in biomass. The large mercury stocks in the forest ecosystem pose a serious threat for large pluses to the atmospheric mercury during potential wildfires and additional ecological stress to forest insect: dung beetles, cicada and longicorn, with mercury concentration of 1983 ± 446, 49 ± 38 and 7 ± 5 ng g"−"1, respectively. Hence, the results obtained in the present study has implications for global estimates of mercury storage in forests, risks to forest insect and potential release to the atmosphere during wildfires. - Highlights: • Mercury in air, soil, biomass and insect were studied at a subtropical forest. • 99.4% of the total ecosystem mercury pools was resided in soil layers. • High mercury pools were large pulses to the atmosphere during potential wildfires. • High mercury deposition in forest pose an ecological stress to insect. - Large mercury pools in forest pose a serious threat for large pluses to the atmospheric mercury during potential wildfires and ecological stress to insect.

Measurement of cesium and mercury emissions from the vitrification of simulated high level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zamecnik, J.R.

1992-01-01

In the Defense Waste Processing Facility at the Savannah River Site, it is desired to measure non-radioactive cesium in the offgas system from the glass melter. From a pilot scale melter system, offgas particulate samples were taken on filter paper media and analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The ICP-MS method proved to be sufficiently sensitive to measure cesium quantities as low as 0.135 μg, with the sensitivity being limited by the background cesium present in the filter paper. This sensitivity allowed determination of cesium decontamination factors for four of the five major components of the offgas system. In addition, total particulate measurements were also made. Measurements of mercury decontamination factors were made on the same equipment; the results indicate that most of the mercury in the offgas system probably exists as elemental mercury and HgCl 2 , with some HgO and Hg 2 Cl 2 . The decontamination factors determined for cesium, total particulate, and mercury all compared favorably with the design values

Global Mercury Pathways in the Arctic Ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Lahoutifard, N.; Lean, D.

2003-12-01

The sudden depletions of atmospheric mercury which occur during the Arctic spring are believed to involve oxidation of gaseous elemental mercury, Hg(0), rendering it less volatile and more soluble. The Hg(II) oxidation product(s) are more susceptible to deposition, consistent with the observation of dramatic increases in snow mercury levels during depletion events. Temporal correlations with ozone depletion events and the proliferation of BrO radicals support the hypothesis that oxidation of Hg(0) occurs in the gas phase and results in its conversion to RGM (Reactive Gaseous Mercury). The mechanisms of Hg(0) oxidation and particularly Hg(II) reduction are as yet unproven. In order to evaluate the feasibility of proposed chemical processes involving mercury in the Arctic atmosphere and its pathway after deposition on the snow from the air, we investigated mercury speciation in air and snow pack at Resolute, Nunavut, Canada (latitude 75° N) prior to and during snow melt during spring 2003. Quantitative, real-time information on emission, air transport and deposition were combined with experimental studies of the distribution and concentrations of different mercury species, methyl mercury, anions, total organic carbon and total inorganic carbon in snow samples. The effect of solar radiation and photoreductants on mercury in snow samples was also investigated. In this work, we quantify mercury removed from the air, and deposited on the snow and the transformation to inorganic and methyl mercury.

Mercury: Aspects of its ecology and environmental toxicity. [physiological effects of mercury compound contamination of environment

Science.gov (United States)

Siegel, S. M.

1973-01-01

A study was conducted to determine the effects of mercury pollution on the environment. The possible sources of mercury contamination in sea water are identified. The effects of mercury on food sources, as represented by swordfish, are analyzed. The physiological effects of varying concentrations of mercury are reported. Emphasis is placed on the situation existing in the Hawaiian Islands.

Investigation of ultraviolet photolysis vapor generation with in-atomizer trapping graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry for the determination of mercury

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madden, Jeremy T. [Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics, Marist College, 3399 North Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 (United States); Fitzgerald, Neil [Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics, Marist College, 3399 North Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 (United States)], E-mail: neil.fitzgerald@marist.edu

2009-09-15

Generation of mercury vapor by ultraviolet irradiation of mercury solutions in low molecular weight organic acid solutions prior to measurement by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry is a cheap, simple and green method for determination of trace concentrations of mercury. In this work mercury vapor generated by ultraviolet photolysis was trapped onto a palladium coated graphite furnace significantly improving the detection limit of the method. The system was optimized and a detection limit of 0.12 {mu}g L{sup - 1} (compared to 2.1 {mu}g L{sup - 1} for a previously reported system in the absence of trapping) with a precision of 11% for a 10 {mu}g L{sup - 1} mercury standard (RSD, N = 5)

Comparative analysis of mercury content in human hair and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Total mercury (T-Hg) concentrations were analysed in human hairs and cosmetic products sold in Dar es Salaam Tanzania. The average total mercury (T-Hg) concentrations in the scalp hair of females using mercury based cosmetic creams and soaps ranged from 7.0 ± 0.4 to 880 ± 12 ppm. Highest T-Hg concentrations ...

Seasonal and diel patterns of total gaseous mercury concentration in the atmosphere of the Central Valley of Costa Rica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castillo, Aylin; Valdes, Juan; Sibaja, Jose; Vega, Ilena; Alfaro, Rosa; Morales, Jose; Esquivel, Germain; Barrantes, Elisa; Black, Paleah; Lean, David

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Elevated seasonal and daily patterns of total gaseous mercury (TGM) were observed in the Central Valley of Costa Rica 27 km south-east of the Poas volcano. → With the onset of the wet season TGM in late April, values increased from typical values near 10 to 905 ng m -3 . → During the day, TGM values increased until midday along with temperature and radiation but relative humidity showed a reciprocal pattern. → We conclude that elemental mercury from the volcano may react with atmospheric oxidants especially during the dry season and the mercury would be deposited to the ground. → With the onset of heavy rains, mercury in the soil is reduced and re-volatilized resulting in the high levels in atmospheric air at the end of April. - Abstract: Monitoring of Hg in the atmosphere near volcanoes is limited with no previous data for Costa Rica. Seasonal and daily patterns of total gaseous mercury (TGM) were observed at the main sampling location at the Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica. The area (lat. 10.000230 long. -84.109499) is located in the Central Valley of Costa Rica and is 27 km SE of the Poas volcano (lat. 10.199486 long. -84.231388). Measurements were made from May 2008 to May 2009 at this location with some additional values obtained at other sites near the Poas volcano including San Luis and Grecia as well as near, Turrialba and Irazu volcanoes. Total gaseous Hg was determined in samples collected at a height of 2 m using the Tekran 2537A (Tekran Inc.) gas-phase Hg vapor analyzer. Meteorological data (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, radiation and precipitation) were obtained from the airport weather station located at Alajuela. Monthly precipitation is typically 85 mm during the dry season (December to April) with winds from the west. The wet season begins in late April and continues to December with monthly rainfall of 328 mm and winds from the NE. The annual mean temperature is 20 deg. C

Seasonal and diel patterns of total gaseous mercury concentration in the atmosphere of the Central Valley of Costa Rica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castillo, Aylin; Valdes, Juan; Sibaja, Jose; Vega, Ilena; Alfaro, Rosa; Morales, Jose; Esquivel, Germain; Barrantes, Elisa [Laboratory for Atmospheric Chemistry, LAQAT-UNA, Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000, Heredia (Costa Rica); Black, Paleah [Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, P.O. Box 450 Station A, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5 (Canada); Lean, David, E-mail: drslean@gmail.com [P.O. Box 309, Apsley, Ontario, K0L 1A0 (Canada)

2011-02-15

Research highlights: {yields} Elevated seasonal and daily patterns of total gaseous mercury (TGM) were observed in the Central Valley of Costa Rica 27 km south-east of the Poas volcano. {yields} With the onset of the wet season TGM in late April, values increased from typical values near 10 to 905 ng m{sup -3}. {yields} During the day, TGM values increased until midday along with temperature and radiation but relative humidity showed a reciprocal pattern. {yields} We conclude that elemental mercury from the volcano may react with atmospheric oxidants especially during the dry season and the mercury would be deposited to the ground. {yields} With the onset of heavy rains, mercury in the soil is reduced and re-volatilized resulting in the high levels in atmospheric air at the end of April. - Abstract: Monitoring of Hg in the atmosphere near volcanoes is limited with no previous data for Costa Rica. Seasonal and daily patterns of total gaseous mercury (TGM) were observed at the main sampling location at the Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica. The area (lat. 10.000230 long. -84.109499) is located in the Central Valley of Costa Rica and is 27 km SE of the Poas volcano (lat. 10.199486 long. -84.231388). Measurements were made from May 2008 to May 2009 at this location with some additional values obtained at other sites near the Poas volcano including San Luis and Grecia as well as near, Turrialba and Irazu volcanoes. Total gaseous Hg was determined in samples collected at a height of 2 m using the Tekran 2537A (Tekran Inc.) gas-phase Hg vapor analyzer. Meteorological data (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, radiation and precipitation) were obtained from the airport weather station located at Alajuela. Monthly precipitation is typically 85 mm during the dry season (December to April) with winds from the west. The wet season begins in late April and continues to December with monthly rainfall of 328 mm and winds from the NE. The annual mean

Semiquantitative mercury determination in fish: a tool for poisoning prevention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YALLOUZ ALLEGRA V.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Human exposure to mercury intoxication through contaminated fish ingestion has been well studied, mainly among Japanese population. The Brazilian population, particulaly in the Amazon region, is now in focus due to findings of fish contamination. Major health impacts caused by mercury affect mostly people who have a regular fish diet. A continuous checking for mercury content in the most consumed fish could prevent human intoxication. A simple, non-instrumental method to allow a continuous checking of the mercury content in fish was developed. Based on this method, we are proposing a prevention action where community agents can be trained to perform fish analysis. Technical Schools and Universities located nearby the affected areas would be in charge of quality control programs for the fish analysis as well as for the selection, training and update for operators.

Mercúrio total em cabelos: uma contribuição para se avaliar o nível de exposição em Poconé, Mato Grosso, Brasil Total mercury in hair: a contribution to the evaluation of mercury exposure levels in Poconé, Mato Grosso, Brazil

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Flávia Nogueira

1997-10-01

Full Text Available Ocorrem na Bacia do Rio Bento Gomes (MT, às margens do Pantanal Mato-grossense, cerca de sessenta garimpos de ouro, onde o mercúrio é utilizado de forma intensiva nos processos de produção, através da formação de amálgamas que facilitam a aglutinação de partículas finas. A queima do amálgama nem sempre é feita em sistemas fechados de recuperação, havendo, portanto, perda de vapor para a atmosfera. Este estudo traz resultados de análises de mercúrio total nos cabelos de quatro grupos de voluntários que vivem em Poconé (MT, e faz uma caracterização geral do ambiente no que se refere à presença do metal na água e no sedimento do Rio Bento Gomes. Um equipamento de detecção por fluorescência foi usado para a determinação das concentrações, e os resultados indicam que os valores são mais baixos do que os de outras populações de áreas de garimpo no Brasil. Indicam também que a via ocupacional parece ser a mais eficiente rota potencial de contaminação da população por mercúrio.There are some 60 gold-mining sites in the Bento Gomes River basin (Mato Grosso, at the border of the Mato Grosso Pantanal (Swamp, where mercury is used to agglutinate fine gold particles through amalgamation. During burning of the amalgam to release the gold, mercury vapor is lost to the atmosphere, since closed systems for mercury recovery are not always used. This study shows the results of total mercury analysis in hair from four volunteer groups living in Poconé, Mato Grosso, and presents a general environmental description pertaining to the presence of mercury in water and sediments from the Bento Gomes River. Atomic fluorescence was used for measuring mercury concentrations. The results were lower than for other populations from gold-mining areas in Brazil.

Mercury speciation in thawed out and refrozen fish samples by gas chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and atomic fluorescence spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krystek, Petra; Ritsema, Rob

Different sub-sampling procedures were applied for the determination of mercury species (as total mercury Hg, methylmercury MeHg+ and inorganic mercury Hg2+) in frozen fish meat. Analyses were carried out by two different techniques. After the sample material was pre-treated by microwave digestion,

Mercury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vilas, F.; Chapman, C.R.; Matthews, M.S.

1988-01-01

Papers are presented on future observations of and missions to Mercury, the photometry and polarimetry of Mercury, the surface composition of Mercury from reflectance spectrophotometry, the Goldstone radar observations of Mercury, the radar observations of Mercury, the stratigraphy and geologic history of Mercury, the geomorphology of impact craters on Mercury, and the cratering record on Mercury and the origin of impacting objects. Consideration is also given to the tectonics of Mercury, the tectonic history of Mercury, Mercury's thermal history and the generation of its magnetic field, the rotational dynamics of Mercury and the state of its core, Mercury's magnetic field and interior, the magnetosphere of Mercury, and the Mercury atmosphere. Other papers are on the present bounds on the bulk composition of Mercury and the implications for planetary formation processes, the building stones of the planets, the origin and composition of Mercury, the formation of Mercury from planetesimals, and theoretical considerations on the strange density of Mercury

Return to Mercury: a global perspective on MESSENGER's first Mercury flyby.

Science.gov (United States)

Solomon, Sean C; McNutt, Ralph L; Watters, Thomas R; Lawrence, David J; Feldman, William C; Head, James W; Krimigis, Stamatios M; Murchie, Scott L; Phillips, Roger J; Slavin, James A; Zuber, Maria T

2008-07-04

In January 2008, the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft became the first probe to fly past the planet Mercury in 33 years. The encounter revealed that Mercury is a dynamic system; its liquid iron-rich outer core is coupled through a dominantly dipolar magnetic field to the surface, exosphere, and magnetosphere, all of which interact with the solar wind. MESSENGER images confirm that lobate scarps are the dominant tectonic landform and record global contraction associated with cooling of the planet. The history of contraction can be related to the history of volcanism and cratering, and the total contractional strain is at least one-third greater than inferred from Mariner 10 images. On the basis of measurements of thermal neutrons made during the flyby, the average abundance of iron in Mercury's surface material is less than 6% by weight.

Green Tea Increases the Concentration of Total Mercury in the Blood of Rats following an Oral Fish Tissue Bolus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elsa M. Janle

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Fish has many health benefits but is also the most common source of methylmercury. The bioavailability of methylmercury in fish may be affected by other meal components. In this study, the effect of green tea on the bioavailability of methylmercury from an oral bolus of fish muscle tissue was studied in rats and compared to a water treated control group and a group treated with meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA, a compound used medically to chelate mercury. Rats were given a single oral dose of fish tissue via gavage and one of the treatments. Rats were given access to food for 3 h at 12 h intervals. They were dosed with each of the treatments with each meal. Blood samples were collected for 95 hours. Green tea significantly increased the concentration of total mercury in blood relative to the control, whereas DMSA significantly decreased it. In addition, feeding caused a slight increase in blood mercury for several meals following the initial dose.

Tracing Sources of Total Gaseous Mercury to Yongheung Island off the Coast of Korea

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Gang S. Lee

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In this study, total gaseous mercury (TGM concentrations were measured on Yongheung Island off the coast of Korea between mainland Korea and Eastern China in 2013. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively evaluate the impact of local mainland Korean sources and regional Chinese sources on local TGM concentrations using multiple tools including the relationship with other pollutants, meteorological data, conditional probability function, backward trajectories, and potential source contribution function (PSCF receptor modeling. Among the five sampling campaigns, two sampling periods were affected by both mainland Korean and regional sources, one was caused by mainland vehicle emissions, another one was significantly impacted by regional sources, and, in the remaining period, Hg volatilization from oceans was determined to be a significant source and responsible for the increase in TGM concentration. PSCF identified potential source areas located in metropolitan areas, western coal-fired power plant locations, and the southeastern industrial area of Korea as well as the Liaoning province, the largest Hg emitting province in China. In general, TGM concentrations generally showed morning peaks (07:00~12:00 and was significantly correlated with solar radiation during all sampling periods.

Mercury in Nelson's Sparrow subspecies at breeding sites.

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Virginia L Winder

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Mercury is a persistent, biomagnifying contaminant that can cause negative effects on ecosystems. Marshes are often areas of relatively high mercury methylation and bioaccumulation. Nelson's Sparrows (Ammodramus nelsoni use marsh habitats year-round and have been documented to exhibit tissue mercury concentrations that exceed negative effects thresholds. We sought to further characterize the potential risk of Nelson's Sparrows to mercury exposure by sampling individuals from sites within the range of each of its subspecies. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: From 2009 to 2011, we captured adult Nelson's Sparrows at sites within the breeding range of each subspecies (A. n. nelsoni: Grand Forks and Upham, North Dakota; A. n. alterus: Moosonee, Ontario; and A. n. subvirgatus: Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick and sampled breast feathers, the first primary feather (P1, and blood for total mercury analysis. Mean blood mercury in nelsoni individuals captured near Grand Forks ranged from 0.84 ± 0.37 to 1.65 ± 1.02 SD ppm among years, between 2.0 and 4.9 times as high as concentrations at the other sites (P<0.01. Breast feather mercury did not vary among sites within a given sampling year (site means ranged from 0.98 ± 0.69 to 2.71 ± 2.93 ppm. Mean P1 mercury in alterus (2.96 ± 1.84 ppm fw was significantly lower than in any other sampled population (5.25 ± 2.24-6.77 ± 3.51 ppm; P ≤ 0.03. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our study further characterized mercury in Nelson's Sparrows near Grand Forks; we documented localized and potentially harmful mercury concentrations, indicating that this area may represent a biological mercury hotspot. This finding warrants further research to determine if wildlife populations of conservation or recreational interest in this area may be experiencing negative effects due to mercury exposure. We present preliminary conclusions about the risk of each sampled population to mercury exposure.

Mercury in mercury(II)-spiked soils is highly susceptible to plant bioaccumulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hlodák, Michal; Urík, Martin; Matúš, Peter; Kořenková, Lucia

2016-01-01

Heavy metal phytotoxicity assessments usually use soluble metal compounds in spiked soils to evaluate metal bioaccumulation, growth inhibition and adverse effects on physiological parameters. However, exampling mercury phytotoxicity for barley (Hordeum vulgare) this paper highlights unsuitability of this experimental approach. Mercury(II) in spiked soils is extremely bioavailable, and there experimentally determined bioaccumulation is significantly higher compared to reported mercury bioaccumulation efficiency from soils collected from mercury-polluted areas. Our results indicate this is not affected by soil sorption capacity, thus soil ageing and formation of more stable mercuric complexes with soil fractions is necessary for reasonable metal phytotoxicity assessments.

Exposure to mercury among Spanish preschool children: Trend from birth to age four

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Llop, Sabrina, E-mail: llop_sab@gva.es [Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research in the Valencian Region, FISABIO-Public Health, Av. Catalunya 21, 46020 Valencia (Spain); Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid (Spain); Murcia, Mario [Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid (Spain); Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research in the Valencian Region, FISABIO-Public Health, Av. Catalunya 21, 46020 Valencia (Spain); Aguinagalde, Xabier [Laboratorio de Salud Pública de Alava, Santiago 11, 01002 Vitoria Gasteiz (Spain); Vioque, Jesus [Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid (Spain); Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Avenida de Alicante KM 87, 03550 Sant Joan d´Alacant (Spain); Rebagliato, Marisa [Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid (Spain); Medicine Department, Jaume I University, Av. Vicent Sos Baynat, s/n, 12071 Castelló de la Plana (Spain); Cases, Amparo [Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research in the Valencian Region, FISABIO-Public Health, Av. Catalunya 21, 46020 Valencia (Spain); Iñiguez, Carmen; Lopez-Espinosa, Maria-Jose [Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research in the Valencian Region, FISABIO-Public Health, Av. Catalunya 21, 46020 Valencia (Spain); Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid (Spain); Amurrio, Ascensión [Laboratorio de Salud Pública de Alava, Santiago 11, 01002 Vitoria Gasteiz (Spain); María Navarrete-Muñoz, Eva [Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid (Spain); Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Avenida de Alicante KM 87, 03550 Sant Joan d´Alacant (Spain); and others

2014-07-15

The purpose of this study is to describe the total hair mercury concentrations and their determinants in preschool Spanish children, as well as to explore the trend in mercury exposure from birth to the age four. This evolution has been scarcely studied in other birth cohort studies. The study population was 580 four year old children participating in the INMA (i.e. Childhood and Environment) birth cohort study in Valencia (2008–2009). Total mercury concentration at age four was measured in hair samples by atomic absorption spectrometry. Fish consumption and other covariates were obtained by questionnaire. Multivariate linear regression models were conducted in order to explore the association between mercury exposure and fish consumption, socio-demographic characteristics and prenatal exposure to mercury. The geometric mean was 1.10 µg/g (95%CI: 1.02, 1.19). Nineteen percent of children had mercury concentrations above the equivalent to the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake proposed by WHO. Mercury concentration was associated with increasing maternal age, fish consumption and cord blood mercury levels, as well as decreasing parity. Children whose mothers worked had higher mercury levels than those with non working mothers. Swordfish, lean fish and canned fish were the fish categories most associated with hair mercury concentrations. We observed a decreasing trend in mercury concentrations between birth and age four. In conclusion, the children participating in this study had high hair mercury concentrations compared to reported studies on children from other European countries and similar to other countries with high fish consumption. The INMA study design allows the evaluation of the exposure to mercury longitudinally and enables this information to be used for biomonitoring purposes and dietary recommendations. - Highlights: • The geometric mean of hair Hg concentrations was 1.10 µg/g. • 19% of children had Hg concentrations above the RfD proposed by

Exposure to mercury among Spanish preschool children: Trend from birth to age four

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Llop, Sabrina; Murcia, Mario; Aguinagalde, Xabier; Vioque, Jesus; Rebagliato, Marisa; Cases, Amparo; Iñiguez, Carmen; Lopez-Espinosa, Maria-Jose; Amurrio, Ascensión; María Navarrete-Muñoz, Eva

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to describe the total hair mercury concentrations and their determinants in preschool Spanish children, as well as to explore the trend in mercury exposure from birth to the age four. This evolution has been scarcely studied in other birth cohort studies. The study population was 580 four year old children participating in the INMA (i.e. Childhood and Environment) birth cohort study in Valencia (2008–2009). Total mercury concentration at age four was measured in hair samples by atomic absorption spectrometry. Fish consumption and other covariates were obtained by questionnaire. Multivariate linear regression models were conducted in order to explore the association between mercury exposure and fish consumption, socio-demographic characteristics and prenatal exposure to mercury. The geometric mean was 1.10 µg/g (95%CI: 1.02, 1.19). Nineteen percent of children had mercury concentrations above the equivalent to the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake proposed by WHO. Mercury concentration was associated with increasing maternal age, fish consumption and cord blood mercury levels, as well as decreasing parity. Children whose mothers worked had higher mercury levels than those with non working mothers. Swordfish, lean fish and canned fish were the fish categories most associated with hair mercury concentrations. We observed a decreasing trend in mercury concentrations between birth and age four. In conclusion, the children participating in this study had high hair mercury concentrations compared to reported studies on children from other European countries and similar to other countries with high fish consumption. The INMA study design allows the evaluation of the exposure to mercury longitudinally and enables this information to be used for biomonitoring purposes and dietary recommendations. - Highlights: • The geometric mean of hair Hg concentrations was 1.10 µg/g. • 19% of children had Hg concentrations above the RfD proposed by

Indirect complexometric determination of mercury(II in synthetic alloys and complexes using ethanethiol as a selective masking agent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. KARTHIKEYAN

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Acomplexometric method for the determination of mercury(II in presence of other metal ions, based on the selective masking action of ethanethiol towards mercury(II is described. Mercury(II present in a given sample solution is first complexed with an excess of EDTAand the unreacted EDTAis titrated against zinc sulphate solution at pH 5–6 (hexamine buffer using xylenol orange as the indicator. An excess of a 0.3 % solution of ethanethiol is then added to displace EDTA from the Hg(II–EDTA complex. The released EDTAis titrated with a standard zinc sulphate solution. Reproducible and accurate results are obtained for 4–85 mg of mercury(II with a relative error of less than ± 0.46 % and coefficient of variation of not more than 0.47 %. The effects of the presence of various ions were studied. The method can be used for the analysis of mercury in its synthetic alloy mixtures and also in complexes.

Mercury mass measurement in fluorescent lamps via neutron activation analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Viererbl, L.; Vinš, M.; Lahodová, Z.; Fuksa, A.; Kučera, J.; Koleška, M.; Voljanskij, A.

2015-11-01

Mercury is an essential component of fluorescent lamps. Not all fluorescent lamps are recycled, resulting in contamination of the environment with toxic mercury, making measurement of the mercury mass used in fluorescent lamps important. Mercury mass measurement of lamps via instrumental neutron activation analysis (NAA) was tested under various conditions in the LVR-15 research reactor. Fluorescent lamps were irradiated in different positions in vertical irradiation channels and a horizontal channel in neutron fields with total fluence rates from 3×108 cm-2 s-1 to 1014 cm-2 s-1. The 202Hg(n,γ)203Hg nuclear reaction was used for mercury mass evaluation. Activities of 203Hg and others induced radionuclides were measured via gamma spectrometry with an HPGe detector at various times after irradiation. Standards containing an Hg2Cl2 compound were used to determine mercury mass. Problems arise from the presence of elements with a large effective cross section in luminescent material (europium, antimony and gadolinium) and glass (boron). The paper describes optimization of the NAA procedure in the LVR-15 research reactor with particular attention to influence of neutron self-absorption in fluorescent lamps.

Biomarkers of mercury exposure at a mercury recycling facility in Ukraine

Science.gov (United States)

Gibb, H.J.; Kozlov, K.; Buckley, J.P.; Centeno, J.; Jurgenson, V.; Kolker, A.; Conko, K.; Landa, E.; Panov, B.; Panov, Y.; Xu, H.

2008-01-01

This study evaluates biomarkers of occupational mercury exposure among workers at a mercury recycling operation in Gorlovka, Ukraine. The 29 study participants were divided into three occupational categories for analysis: (1) those who worked in the mercury recycling operation (Group A, n = 8), (2) those who worked at the facility but not in the yard where the recycling was done (Group B, n = 14), and (3) those who did not work at the facility (Group C, n = 7). Urine, blood, hair, and nail samples were collected from the participants, and a questionnaire was administered to obtain data on age, gender, occupational history, smoking, alcohol consumption, fish consumption, tattoos, dental amalgams, home heating system, education, source of drinking water, and family employment in the former mercury mine/smelter located on the site of the recycling facility. Each factor was tested in a univariate regression with total mercury in urine, blood, hair, and nails. Median biomarker concentrations were 4.04 ??g/g-Cr (urine), 2.58 ??g/L (blood), 3.95 ??g/g (hair), and 1.16 ??g/g (nails). Occupational category was significantly correlated (p < 0.001) with both blood and urinary mercury concentrations but not with hair or nail mercury. Four individuals had urinary mercury concentrations in a range previously found to be associated with subtle neurological and subjective symptoms (e.g., fatigue, loss of appetite, irritability), and one worker had a urinary mercury concentration in a range associated with a high probability of neurological effects and proteinuria. Comparison of results by occupational category found that workers directly involved with the recycling operation had the highest blood and urinary mercury levels. Those who worked at the facility but were not directly involved with the recycling operation had higher levels than those who did not work at the facility. Copyright ?? 2008 JOEH, LLC.

Determination of Mercury in an Assortment of Dietary Supplements Using an Inexpensive Combustion Atomic Absorption Spectrometry Technique

OpenAIRE

Levine, Keith E.; Levine, Michael A.; Weber, Frank X.; Hu, Ye; Perlmutter, Jason; Grohse, Peter M.

2005-01-01

The concentrations of mercury in forty, commercially available dietary supplements, were determined using a new, inexpensive analysis technique. The method involves thermal decomposition, amalgamation, and detection of mercury by atomic absorption spectrometry with an analysis time of approximately six minutes per sample. The primary cost savings from this approach is that labor-intensive sample digestion is not required prior to analysis, further automating the analytical procedure. As a res...

Distribution of total mercury and methylmercury around the small-scale gold mining area along the Cikaniki River, Bogor, Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomiyasu, Takashi; Kodamatani, Hitoshi; Hamada, Yuriko Kono; Matsuyama, Akito; Imura, Ryusuke; Taniguchi, Yoko; Hidayati, Nuril; Rahajoe, Joeni Setijo

2017-01-01

This study investigates the distribution of total mercury (T-Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in the soil and water around the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) area along the Cikaniki River, West Java, Indonesia. The concentration of T-Hg and MeHg in the forest soil ranged from 0.07 to 16.7 mg kg -1 and from <0.07 to 2.0 μg kg -1 , respectively, whereas it ranged from 0.40 to 24.9 mg kg -1 and from <0.07 to 56.3 μg kg -1 , respectively, in the paddy field soil. In the vertical variation of the T-Hg of forest soil, the highest values were observed at the soil surface, and these values were found to decrease with increasing depth. A similar variation was observed for MeHg and total organic carbon content (TOC), and a linear relationship was observed between them. Mercury deposited on the soil surface can be trapped and retained by organic matter and subjected to methylation. The slope of the line obtained for the T-Hg vs. TOC plot became larger near the ASGM villages, implying a higher rate of mercury deposition in these areas. In contrast, the plots of MeHg vs. TOC fell along the same trend line regardless of the distance from the ASGM village. Organic carbon content may be a predominant factor in controlling MeHg formation in forest soils. The T-Hg concentration in the river water ranged from 0.40 to 9.6 μg L -1 . River water used for irrigation can prove to be a source of mercury for the paddy fields. The concentrations of Hg 0 and Hg 2+ in river water showed similar variations as that observed for the T-Hg concentration. The highest Hg 0 concentration of 3.2 μg L -1 can be attributed to the waste inflow from work sites. The presence of Hg 0 in river water can become a source of mercury present in the atmosphere along the river. MeHg concentration in the river water was found to be 0.004-0.14% of T-Hg concentration, which was considerably lower than the concentrations of other Hg species. However, MeHg comprised approximately 0.2% of the T

Mercury in Nelson's Sparrow Subspecies at Breeding Sites

Science.gov (United States)

Winder, Virginia L.; Emslie, Steven D.

2012-01-01

Background Mercury is a persistent, biomagnifying contaminant that can cause negative effects on ecosystems. Marshes are often areas of relatively high mercury methylation and bioaccumulation. Nelson's Sparrows (Ammodramus nelsoni) use marsh habitats year-round and have been documented to exhibit tissue mercury concentrations that exceed negative effects thresholds. We sought to further characterize the potential risk of Nelson's Sparrows to mercury exposure by sampling individuals from sites within the range of each of its subspecies. Methodology/Principal Findings From 2009 to 2011, we captured adult Nelson's Sparrows at sites within the breeding range of each subspecies (A. n. nelsoni: Grand Forks and Upham, North Dakota; A. n. alterus: Moosonee, Ontario; and A. n. subvirgatus: Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick) and sampled breast feathers, the first primary feather (P1), and blood for total mercury analysis. Mean blood mercury in nelsoni individuals captured near Grand Forks ranged from 0.84±0.37 to 1.65±1.02 SD ppm among years, between 2.0 and 4.9 times as high as concentrations at the other sites (Pmercury did not vary among sites within a given sampling year (site means ranged from 0.98±0.69 to 2.71±2.93 ppm). Mean P1 mercury in alterus (2.96±1.84 ppm fw) was significantly lower than in any other sampled population (5.25±2.24–6.77±3.51 ppm; P≤0.03). Conclusions/Significance Our study further characterized mercury in Nelson's Sparrows near Grand Forks; we documented localized and potentially harmful mercury concentrations, indicating that this area may represent a biological mercury hotspot. This finding warrants further research to determine if wildlife populations of conservation or recreational interest in this area may be experiencing negative effects due to mercury exposure. We present preliminary conclusions about the risk of each sampled population to mercury exposure. PMID:22384194

Tidally driven export of dissolved organic carbon, total mercury, and methylmercury from a mangrove-dominated estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Bergamaschi, B.A.; Krabbenhoft, D.P.; Aiken, G.R.; Patino, E.; Rumbold, D.G.; Orem, W.H.

2012-01-01

The flux of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from mangrove swamps accounts for 10% of the global terrestrial flux of DOC to coastal oceans. Recent findings of high concentrations of mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in mangroves, in conjunction with the common co-occurrence of DOC and Hg species, have raised concerns that mercury fluxes may also be large. We used a novel approach to estimate export of DOC, Hg, and MeHg to coastal waters from a mangrove-dominated estuary in Everglades National Park (Florida, USA). Using in situ measurements of fluorescent dissolved organic matter as a proxy for DOC, filtered total Hg, and filtered MeHg, we estimated the DOC yield to be 180 (??12.6) g C m -2 yr -1, which is in the range of previously reported values. Although Hg and MeHg yields from tidal mangrove swamps have not been previously measured, our estimated yields of Hg species (28 ?? 4.5 ??g total Hg m -2 yr -1 and 3.1 ?? 0.4 ??g methyl Hg m -2 yr -1) were five times greater than is typically reported for terrestrial wetlands. These results indicate that in addition to the well documented contributions of DOC, tidally driven export from mangroves represents a significant potential source of Hg and MeHg to nearby coastal waters. ?? 2011 American Chemical Society.

Determination of mercury in microwave-digested soil by laser-excited atomic fluorescence spectrometry with electrothermal atomization.

Science.gov (United States)

Pagano, S T; Smith, B W; Winefordner, J D

1994-12-01

A sample digestion procedure was developed which employs microwave heating of soil and sediment in concentrated nitric acid in a high-pressure closed vessel. Complete dissolution of mercury into the sample solution occurs within 5 min at 59 W/vessel without loss of analyte through overpressurization. Laser-excited atomic fluorescence spectrometry with electrothermal atomization (LEAFS-ETA) was used as the detection method. The scheme uses a two-step excitation, with lambda(1) = 253.7 nm and lambda(2) = 435.8 nm. Direct line fluorescence was measured at 546.2 nm. The absolute instrumental limit of detection was 14 fg; 1.4 pg/ml with a 10 mul sample injection. The recoveries of mercury in two spiked samples were 94 and 98%. The SRM 8406 (Mercury in River Sediment) was digested and analyzed for mercury, and the results (58.4 +/- 1.8 ng/g) agreed well with the reference value of 60 ng/g. The results obtained by LEAFS-ETA with microwave sample digestion are in good agreement with those found by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry with EPA Series Method 245.5 sample digestion, which is one of the most commonly used methods for the determination of mercury in soil.

Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989-2007

Science.gov (United States)

Paulson, Anthony J.; Keys, Morgan E.; Scholting, Kelly L.

2010-01-01

Historical records of mercury contamination in dated sediment cores from Sinclair Inlet are coincidental with activities at the U.S. Navy Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; peak total mercury concentrations occurred around World War II. After World War II, better metallurgical management practices and environmental regulations reduced mercury contamination, but total mercury concentrations in surface sediment of Sinclair Inlet have decreased slowly because of the low rate of sedimentation relative to the vertical mixing within sediment. The slopes of linear regressions between the total mercury and total organic carbon concentrations of sediment offshore of Puget Sound urban areas was the best indicator of general mercury contamination above pre-industrial levels. Prior to the 2000-01 remediation, this indicator placed Sinclair Inlet in the tier of estuaries with the highest level of mercury contamination, along with Bellingham Bay in northern Puget Sound and Elliott Bay near Seattle. This indicator also suggests that the 2000/2001 remediation dredging had significant positive effect on Sinclair Inlet as a whole. In 2007, about 80 percent of the area of the Bremerton naval complex had sediment total mercury concentrations within about 0.5 milligrams per kilogram of the Sinclair Inlet regression. Three areas adjacent to the waterfront of the Bremerton naval complex have total mercury concentrations above this range and indicate a possible terrestrial source from waterfront areas of Bremerton naval complex. Total mercury concentrations in unfiltered Sinclair Inlet marine waters are about three times higher than those of central Puget Sound, but the small numbers of samples and complex physical and geochemical processes make it difficult to interpret the geographical distribution of mercury in marine waters from Sinclair Inlet. Total mercury concentrations in various biota species were compared among geographical locations and included data of composite samples, individual

Imaging time-resolved electrothermal atomization laser-excited atomic fluorescence spectrometry for determination of mercury in seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Bihan, Alain; Cabon, Jean-Yves; Deschamps, Laure; Giamarchi, Philippe

2011-06-15

In this study, direct determination of mercury at the nanogram per liter level in the complex seawater matrix by imaging time-resolved electrothermal atomization laser-excited atomic fluorescence spectrometry (ITR-ETA-LEAFS) is described. In the case of mercury, the use of a nonresonant line for fluorescence detection with only one laser excitation is not possible. For measurements at the 253.652 nm resonant line, scattering phenomena have been minimized by eliminating the simultaneous vaporization of salts and by using temporal resolution and the imaging mode of the camera. Electrothermal conditions (0.1 M oxalic acid as matrix modifier, low atomization temperature) have been optimized in order to suppress chemical interferences and to obtain a good separation of specific signal and seawater background signal. For ETA-LEAFS, a specific response has been obtained for Hg with the use of time resolution. Moreover, an important improvement of the detection limit has been obtained by selecting, from the furnace image, pixels collecting the lowest number of scattered photons. Using optimal experimental conditions, a detection limit of 10 ng L(-1) for 10 μL of sample, close to the lowest concentration level of total Hg in the open ocean, has been obtained.

Total mercury, methyl mercury, and heavy metal concentrations in Hyeongsan River and its tributaries in Pohang city, South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Bailon, Mark Xavier; David, Anneschel Sheehan; Park, Yeongeon; Kim, Eunhee; Hong, Yongseok

2018-04-11

Heavy metal contamination in aquatic systems is a big problem in many areas around the world. In 2016, high mercury concentrations were reported in bivalves (Corbicula leana) and sediments near the confluence of the Hyeongsan River and Chilseong Creek located in Pohang, a steel industrial city in the south-east coast of the Korean peninsula. Given that both the Chilseong and Gumu creeks run through the Pohang industrial complex and ultimately flow to the Hyeongsan River, it is imperative to determine if the industrial effluents have any impact on the mercury contamination in these two streams and the Hyeongsan River. In this work, we investigated the concentration levels of different heavy metals using cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy. The metal concentration in the water samples from the Hyeongsan River, Gumu Creek, and Chilseong Creek did not exceed the limits for drinking water quality set by the US EPA and World Health Organization. However, the sediment samples were found to be heavily contaminated by Hg with levels exceeding the toxic effect threshold. Gumu Creek was found to be heavily contaminated. The concentrations of the different heavy metals increased downstream, and the samples collected from the sites in the Hyeongsan River near the Gumu Creek, an open channel for wastewater discharge of companies in the Pohang Industrial Complex, showed higher contamination levels, indicating that the effluents from the industrial complex are a possible source of contamination in the river.

Assessment of mercury exposure among small-scale gold miners using mercury stable isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sherman, Laura S.; Blum, Joel D.; Basu, Niladri; Rajaee, Mozhgon; Evers, David C.; Buck, David G.; Petrlik, Jindrich; DiGangi, Joseph

2015-01-01

Total mercury (Hg) concentrations in hair and urine are often used as biomarkers of exposure to fish-derived methylmercury (MeHg) and gaseous elemental Hg, respectively. We used Hg stable isotopes to assess the validity of these biomarkers among small-scale gold mining populations in Ghana and Indonesia. Urine from Ghanaian miners displayed similar Δ 199 Hg values to Hg derived from ore deposits (mean urine Δ 199 Hg=0.01‰, n=6). This suggests that urine total Hg concentrations accurately reflect exposure to inorganic Hg among this population. Hair samples from Ghanaian miners displayed low positive Δ 199 Hg values (0.23–0.55‰, n=6) and low percentages of total Hg as MeHg (7.6–29%, n=7). These data suggest that the majority of the Hg in these miners' hair samples is exogenously adsorbed inorganic Hg and not fish-derived MeHg. Hair samples from Indonesian gold miners who eat fish daily displayed a wider range of positive Δ 199 Hg values (0.21–1.32‰, n=5) and percentages of total Hg as MeHg (32–72%, n=4). This suggests that total Hg in the hair samples from Indonesian gold miners is likely a mixture of ingested fish MeHg and exogenously adsorbed inorganic Hg. Based on data from both populations, we suggest that total Hg concentrations in hair samples from small-scale gold miners likely overestimate exposure to MeHg from fish consumption. - Highlights: • Mercury isotopes were measured in hair and urine from small-scale gold miners. • Mercury isotopes indicate that Hg in urine comes from mining activity. • Mercury isotopes suggest Hg in hair is a mixture of fish MeHg and inorganic Hg. • A large percentage of Hg in miner’s hair is released during amalgam burning and adsorbed

Ion-imprinted polymethacrylic microbeads as new sorbent for preconcentration and speciation of mercury.

Science.gov (United States)

Dakova, Ivanka; Karadjova, Irina; Georgieva, Ventsislava; Georgiev, George

2009-04-30

Metal ion-imprinted polymer particles have been prepared by copolymerization of methacrylic acid as monomer, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate as cross-linking agent and 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator, in the presence of Hg(II)-1-(2-thiazolylazo)-2-naphthol complex. The separation and preconcentration characteristics of the Hg-ion-imprinted microbeads for inorganic mercury have been investigated by batch procedure. The optimal pH value for the quantitative sorption is 7. The adsorbed inorganic mercury is easily eluted by 2 mL 4M HNO(3). The adsorption capacity of the newly synthesized Hg ion-imprinted microbeads is 32.0 micromol g(-1) for dry copolymer. The selectivity of the copolymer toward inorganic mercury (Hg(II)) ion is confirmed through the comparison of the competitive adsorptions of Cd(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Zn(II)) and high values of the selectivity and distribution coefficients have been calculated. Experiments performed for selective determination of inorganic mercury in mineral and sea waters showed that the interfering matrix does not influence the extraction efficiency of Hg ion-imprinted microbeads. The detection limit for inorganic mercury is 0.006 microg L(-1) (3 sigma), determined by cold vapor atomic adsorption spectrometry. The relative standard deviation varied in the range 5-9 % at 0.02-1 microg L(-1) Hg levels. The new Hg-ion-imprinted microbeads have been tested and applied for the speciation of Hg in river and mineral waters: inorganic mercury has been determined selectively in nondigested sample, while total mercury e.g. sum of inorganic and methylmercury, has been determined in digested sample.

Atomic-absorption determination of mercury in geological materials by flame and carbon-rod atomisation after solvent extraction and using co-extracted silver as a matrix modifier

Science.gov (United States)

Sanzolone, R.F.; Chao, T.T.

1983-01-01

Based on modifications and expansion of the original Tindall's solvent extraction flame atomic-absorption procedure, an atomic-absorption spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of mercury in geological materials. The sample is digested with nitric and hydrochloric acids in a boiling water-bath. The solution is made ammoniacal and potassium iodide and silver nitrate are added. The mercury is extracted into isobutyl methyl ketone as the tetraiodomercurate(ll). Added silver is co-extracted with mercury and serves as a matrix modifier in the carbon-rod atomiser. The mercury in the isobutyl methyl ketone extract may be determined by either the flame- or the carbon-rod atomisation method, depending on the concentration level. The limits of determination are 0.05-10 p.p.m. of mercury for the carbon-rod atomisation and 1 -200 p.p.m. of mercury for the flame atomisation. Mercury values for reference samples obtained by replicate analyses are in good agreement with those reported by other workers, with relative standard deviations ranging from 2.3 to 0.9%. Recoveries of mercury spiked at two levels were 93-106%. Major and trace elements commonly found in geological materials do not interfere.

Mercury in organs of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) from the Bering Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Trukhin, Alexey M; Simokon, Mikhail V

2018-02-01

The Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) is still used as an important source of protein-rich food by indigenous peoples of Chukotka, Alaska, and other Arctic regions. Total mercury (THg) concentration was measured in eight internal organs of walruses. Samples were taken from 22 individuals (11 males and 11 females). Age of the animals ranged from 1 to 30 years. All the walruses were harvested by local hunters from the coastal waters off the Chukchi Peninsula (Russia) during the autumn of 2011. Total mercury concentration in the samples was determined by atomic absorption method. No statistically significant difference in the level of mercury was found between males and females. Mercury was detected in all the organs of the studied walruses. The highest total mercury concentration was recorded from excretory organs: liver and kidneys. The level of mercury in liver (mean = 1.87 μg/g, range = 0.05-5.87) was by an order of magnitude higher than in kidneys (mean = 0.54 μg/g, range = 0.09-1.64.); in kidneys, it was by an order of magnitude higher than in the rest of the organs. The analyzed organs can be arranged in the order of decreasing Hg concentration as follows: liver > kidney > muscle > spleen ≥ heart ≥ intestine > lung ≥ testis. The mercury concentration values in walruses from the coastal waters off the Chukchi Peninsula are lower than those obtained from walruses in Alaska and the Canadian Arctic. Our findings may provide a basis for the further long-term monitoring of the condition of the Pacific walrus population and pollution of the Arctic ecosystem.

Influence of socio-demographic and diet determinants on the levels of mercury in preschool children from a Mediterranean island

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garí, Mercè; Grimalt, Joan O.; Torrent, Maties; Sunyer, Jordi

2013-01-01

Mercury levels measured in 302 hair samples of 4 year-old children from Menorca (western Mediterranean Sea) are reported. Their concentrations, arithmetic mean 1.4 μg/g, ranging between 0.040 μg/g and 10 μg/g, were higher than in other children inland populations but lower than in previously studied island cohorts, e.g. Faroe, Madeira and Seychelles. 20% of the samples were above the WHO recommended values. Higher concentrations in females than males were observed. Frequent consumption of fish and other seafood were significantly related to the observed mercury concentrations. Oily fish was the main source of this pollutant but shellfish and squid consumption were also associated with high mercury concentrations. Maternal smoking, occupational status or previous siblings were also found to significantly influence the levels of this pollutant. McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities used to assess children's motor and cognitive abilities did not show association with mercury concentrations at 4 years of age. Highlights: •20% of children exceed the WHO guideline level of 2 μg/g of mercury in hair. •Higher mercury concentrations in female than male children are observed. •Oily fish is the main source of mercury within frequent-fish consumer children. •Higher parity is associated with lower mercury concentrations in children. •No associations between children's cognitive abilities and mercury levels are found. -- Oily fish and shellfish consumption, parity, maternal smoking and occupational status are the main determinants of mercury in four year-old children from Menorca Island (Mediterranean Sea)

Senegalese artisanal gold mining leads to elevated total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in soils, sediments, and rivers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacqueline R. Gerson

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The largest source of global mercury (Hg anthropogenic inputs to the environment is derived from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM activities in developing countries. While our understanding of global Hg emissions from ASGM is growing, there is limited empirical documentation about the levels of total mercury (THg and methylmercury (MeHg contamination near ASGM sites. We measured THg and MeHg concentrations in soil (n = 119, sediment (n = 22, and water (n = 25 from four active ASGM villages and one non-ASGM reference village in Senegal, West Africa. Nearly all samples had THg and MeHg concentrations that exceeded the reference village concentrations and USEPA regulatory standards. The highest median THg concentrations were found in huts where mercury-gold amalgams were burned (7.5 μg/g, while the highest median MeHg concentrations and percent Hg as MeHg were found in river sediments (4.2 ng/g, 0.41%. Median river water concentrations of THg and MeHg were also elevated compared to values at the reference site (22 ng THg/L, 0.037 ng MeHg/L in ASGM sites. This study provides direct evidence that Hg from ASGM is entering both the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems where it is converted in soils, sediment, and water to the neurotoxic and bioavailable form of MeHg.

Determination of mercury in ambient water samples by anodic stripping voltammetry on screen-printed gold electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernalte, E; Marín Sánchez, C; Pinilla Gil, E

2011-03-09

The applicability of commercial screen-printed gold electrodes (SPGEs) for the determination of Hg(II) in ambient water samples by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry has been demonstrated. Electrode conditioning procedures, chemical and instrumental variables have been optimized to develop a reliable method capable of measuring dissolved mercury in the low ng mL(-1) range (detection limit 1.1 ng mL(-1)), useful for pollution monitoring or screening purposes. The proposed method was tested with the NIST 1641d Mercury in Water Standard Reference Material (recoveries 90.0-110%) and the NCS ZC 76303 Mercury in Water Certified Reference Material (recoveries 82.5-90.6%). Waste water samples from industrial origin and fortified rain water samples were assayed for mercury by the proposed method and by a reference ICP-MS method, with good agreement. Screen printing technology thus opens a useful way for the construction of reliable electrochemical sensors for decentralized or even field Hg(II) testing. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of mercury, selenium and methylmercury in fish consumed by Santos Bay communities, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farias, Luciana A.; Favaro, Deborah I.T. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)]. E-mail: lufarias@usp.br; Azevedo, Juliana de S.; Braga, Elisabete S. [Sao Paulo Univ., SP (Brazil). Inst. Oceanografico. Lab. de Nutrientes, Micronutrientes e Tracos no Mar (LABNUT)]. E-mail: juliana@io.usp.br

2005-07-01

In the present study, mercury and selenium levels were evaluated in fish tissues and fish organs in the Santos Bay, Sao Paulo State, southeastern Brazil. Santos Bay waters are polluted by the large industrial complex of Cubatao. The estuary system filters part of this pollution before it reaches the Bay. Mercury and methylmercury determination were performed using Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (CV-AAS) and selenium determination by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA). Methodology validation for the determination of these elements was carried out by means of reference materials analyses. There was no significant correlation between mercury and selenium concentrations (n = 17, (r2 ) R2 = 0.3482, p = 0.1709) in Cathorops spixii (bagre amarelo)- Ariidae family and Centropomus sp. (robalo)- Centropomidae family livers. Mercury and methylmercury concentrations in muscle from carnivorous species: Ariidae Cathorops spixii (bagre amarelo), Scianidae Steliffer rastifer (cangoa) and Scianidae Paralonchurus brasiliensis (maria-luiza) were determined and discussed. Total mercury concentration in Ariidae Catharops spixii livers presented the highest Hg level (7.6 mg kg-1). Although the Santos Bay is less contaminated than the inner section of its estuary system (Cubatao), it presents signs of environmental impact. (author)

Evaluation of mercury, selenium and methylmercury in fish consumed by Santos Bay communities, Sao Paulo, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farias, Luciana A.; Favaro, Deborah I.T.; Azevedo, Juliana de S.; Braga, Elisabete S.

2005-01-01

In the present study, mercury and selenium levels were evaluated in fish tissues and fish organs in the Santos Bay, Sao Paulo State, southeastern Brazil. Santos Bay waters are polluted by the large industrial complex of Cubatao. The estuary system filters part of this pollution before it reaches the Bay. Mercury and methylmercury determination were performed using Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (CV-AAS) and selenium determination by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA). Methodology validation for the determination of these elements was carried out by means of reference materials analyses. There was no significant correlation between mercury and selenium concentrations (n = 17, (r2 ) R2 = 0.3482, p = 0.1709) in Cathorops spixii (bagre amarelo)- Ariidae family and Centropomus sp. (robalo)- Centropomidae family livers. Mercury and methylmercury concentrations in muscle from carnivorous species: Ariidae Cathorops spixii (bagre amarelo), Scianidae Steliffer rastifer (cangoa) and Scianidae Paralonchurus brasiliensis (maria-luiza) were determined and discussed. Total mercury concentration in Ariidae Catharops spixii livers presented the highest Hg level (7.6 mg kg-1). Although the Santos Bay is less contaminated than the inner section of its estuary system (Cubatao), it presents signs of environmental impact. (author)

Volcanoes as emission sources of atmospheric mercury in the Mediterranean basin

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrara; Mazzolai; Lanzillotta; Nucaro; Pirrone

2000-10-02

Emissions from volcanoes, fumaroles and solfataras as well as contributions from widespread geological anomalies could represent an important source of mercury released to the atmosphere in the Mediterranean basin. Volcanoes located in this area (Etna, Stromboli and Vulcano) are the most active in Europe; therefore, it is extremely important to know their mercury contributions to the regional atmospheric budget. Two main methods are used for the evaluation of volcanic mercury flux: a direct determination of the flux (by measuring in the plume) and an indirect one derived from the determination of the Hg/SO2 (or Hg/S) ratio value, as SO2 emissions are constantly monitored by volcanologists. An attempt to estimate mercury flux from the Vulcano volcano and to establish the Hg/S ratio value has been made along three field campaigns carried out in October 1998, in February and May 1999 sampling several fumaroles. Traditional sampling methods were used to collect both total Hg and S. The average Hg/S ratio value resulted to be 1.2 x 10(-7). From the Hg/S value we derived the Hg/SO2 value, and by assuming that all the volcanoes located in this area have the same Hg/SO2 ratio, mercury emissions from Vulcano and Stromboli were estimated to be in the range 1.3-5.5 kg/year and 7.3-76.6 kg/year respectively, while for Etna mercury flux ranged from 61.8 to 536.5 kg/year. Data reported in literature appear to be overestimated (Fitzgerald WF. Mercury emission from volcanos. In: 4th International conference on mercury as a global pollutant, August 4-8 1996, Hamburg, Germany), volcanic mercury emission does not constitute the main natural source of the metal.

Sorption of inorganic mercury on soils from Ankobra basin...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

dmosman.admin

cury emitted from artisanal gold mining activities within the Ankobra basin. Total mercury ... in the south-western part of Ghana by Cold Vapour Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. THg content of the .... was determined using hydrometer method (Gee and Bauder ...... vian iron – humus podzol – validation and long – term ...

Ultraviolet absorbance as a proxy for total dissolved mercury in streams

Science.gov (United States)

Dittman, J.A.; Shanley, J.B.; Driscoll, C.T.; Aiken, G.R.; Chalmers, A.T.; Towse, J.E.

2009-01-01

Stream water samples were collected over a range of hydrologic and seasonal conditions at three forested watersheds in the northeastern USA. Samples were analyzed for dissolved total mercury (THgd), DOC concentration and DOC composition, and UV254 absorbance across the three sites over different seasons and flow conditions. Pooling data from all sites, we found a strong positive correlation of THgd to DOC (r2 = 0.87), but progressively stronger correlations of THgd with the hydrophobic acid fraction (HPOA) of DOC (r2 = 0.91) and with UV254 absorbance (r2 = 0.92). The strength of the UV254 absorbance-THgd relationship suggests that optical properties associated with dissolved organic matter may be excellent proxies for THgd concentration in these streams. Ease of sample collection and analysis, the potential application of in-situ optical sensors, and the possibility for intensive monitoring over the hydrograph make this an effective, inexpensive approach to estimate THgd flux in drainage waters. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd.

Recovery and removal of mercury from mixed wastes. Final report, September 1994--June 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutton, W.F.; Weyand, T.E.; Koshinski, C.J.

1995-06-01

In recognition of the major environmental problem created by mercury contamination of wastes and soils at an estimated 200,000 sites along US natural gas and oil pipelines and at a number of government facilities, including Oak Ridge, Savannah River, Hanford, and Rocky Flats, the US Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking an effective and economical process for removing mercury from various DOE waste streams in order to allow the base waste streams to be treated by means of conventional technologies. In response to the need for Unproved mercury decontamination technology, Mercury Recovery Services (MRS) has developed and commercialized a thermal treatment process for the recovery of mercury from contaminated soils and industrial wastes. The objectives of this program were to: demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of the MRS process to successfully remove and recover mercury from low-level mixed waste containing mercury compounds (HgO, HgS, HgCl 2 ) and selected heavy metal compounds (PbO, CdO); determine optimum processing conditions required to consistently reduce the residual total mercury content to 1 mg/kg while rendering the treated product nontoxic as determined by TCLP methods; and provide an accurate estimate of the capital and operating costs for a commercial processing facility designed specifically to remove and recovery mercury from various waste streams of interest at DOE facilities. These objectives were achieved in a four-stage demonstration program described within with results

Trace mercury determination in drinking and natural water after preconcentration and separation by DLLME-SFO method coupled with cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry

OpenAIRE

Abdollahi Atousa; Amirkavehei Mooud; Gheisari Mohammad Mehdi; Tadayon Fariba

2014-01-01

A novel dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic drop (DLLME-SFO) for simultaneous separation/preconcentration of ultra trace amounts of mercury was used. A method based on amalgamation was used for collection of gaseous mercury on gold coated sand (Gold trap). The concentration of mercury was determined by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS). The DLLME-SFO behavior of mercury by using dithizone as complexing agent was systematically ...

Mercury(II) and methyl mercury speciation on Streptococcus pyogenes loaded Dowex Optipore SD-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuzen, Mustafa; Uluozlu, Ozgur Dogan; Karaman, Isa; Soylak, Mustafa

2009-01-01

A solid phase extraction procedure based on speciation of mercury(II) and methyl mercury on Streptococcus pyogenes immobilized on Dowex Optipore SD-2 has been established. Selective and sequential elution with 0.1 mol L -1 HCl for methyl mercury and 2 mol L -1 HCl for mercury(II) were performed at pH 8. The determination of mercury levels was performed by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS). Optimal analytical conditions including pH, amounts of biosorbent, sample volumes, etc., were investigated. The influences of the some alkaline and earth alkaline ions and some transition metals on the recoveries were also investigated. The capacity of biosorbent for mercury(II) and methyl mercury was 4.8 and 3.4 mg g -1 . The detection limit (3 sigma) of the reagent blank for mercury(II) and methyl mercury was 2.1 and 1.5 ng L -1 . Preconcentration factor was calculated as 25. The relative standard deviations of the procedure were below 7%. The validation of the presented procedure is performed by the analysis of standard reference material (NRCC-DORM 2 Dogfish Muscle). The procedure was successfully applied to the speciation of mercury(II) and methyl mercury in natural water and environmental samples.

Mercury(II) and methyl mercury speciation on Streptococcus pyogenes loaded Dowex Optipore SD-2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuzen, Mustafa, E-mail: m.tuzen@gmail.com [Gaziosmanpasa University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Chemistry Department, 60250 Tokat (Turkey); Uluozlu, Ozgur Dogan [Gaziosmanpasa University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Chemistry Department, 60250 Tokat (Turkey); Karaman, Isa [Gaziosmanpasa University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Biology Department, 60250 Tokat (Turkey); Soylak, Mustafa [Erciyes University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Chemistry Department, 38039 Kayseri (Turkey)

2009-09-30

A solid phase extraction procedure based on speciation of mercury(II) and methyl mercury on Streptococcus pyogenes immobilized on Dowex Optipore SD-2 has been established. Selective and sequential elution with 0.1 mol L{sup -1} HCl for methyl mercury and 2 mol L{sup -1} HCl for mercury(II) were performed at pH 8. The determination of mercury levels was performed by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS). Optimal analytical conditions including pH, amounts of biosorbent, sample volumes, etc., were investigated. The influences of the some alkaline and earth alkaline ions and some transition metals on the recoveries were also investigated. The capacity of biosorbent for mercury(II) and methyl mercury was 4.8 and 3.4 mg g{sup -1}. The detection limit (3 sigma) of the reagent blank for mercury(II) and methyl mercury was 2.1 and 1.5 ng L{sup -1}. Preconcentration factor was calculated as 25. The relative standard deviations of the procedure were below 7%. The validation of the presented procedure is performed by the analysis of standard reference material (NRCC-DORM 2 Dogfish Muscle). The procedure was successfully applied to the speciation of mercury(II) and methyl mercury in natural water and environmental samples.

Analysis of Soil Parameters in Almadenejos. Behavior of Mercury in Soil-Plant System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, R.; Sierra, M. J.; Villadoniga, M.; Millan, R.

2010-01-01

This scientific-technical report is the result of the stay of Rocio Fernandez Flores practices in the Research Unit soil degradation of the Department of Environment CIEMAT. The aim of this study is to determine the behaviour of mercury in soil of Almadenejos (Almaden, Ciudad Real, Espana) by using a six-step sequential extraction procedure and evaluate the transfer of this pollutant to Marrubium vulgare L., predominant in the area and studied for years due to its ability to accumulate large amounts of mercury without visual symptoms of toxicity. Furthermore, the results will be useful in order to determine if this plant specie could be used as phyto extractor in the recovery mercury contaminated soils. The results show that total mercury concentrations in soil ranged from 709 mg kg-1 to 22,616 mg kg-1. Regarding mercury distribution among different soil fractions, this heavy metal is mainly found in the fraction assigned in the fi nal insoluble residues, the oxidizable fraction and in the crystalline Fe-Mn oxydroxides, on the other hand, barely 1% or lower is readily available to plants However, Marrubium vulgare is able to accumulate high amount of mercury (3.5 - 373.5 mg kg-1). Regarding the mercury distribution inside the plant, mercury concentration in the root was higher than in the aerial part. Within the aerial part the maximum mercury concentration was generally found in leaves. According to the obtained results, Marrubium vulgare L. could be considered as a (hyper)accumulator plant. (Author) 57 refs.

Comparison of total mercury and methylmercury cycling at five sites using the small watershed approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shanley, James B. [US Geological Survey, PO Box 628, Montpelier, VT 05601 (United States)], E-mail: jshanley@usgs.gov; Alisa Mast, M. [US Geological Survey, MS 415 Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225 (United States)], E-mail: mamast@usgs.gov; Campbell, Donald H. [US Geological Survey, MS 415 Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225 (United States)], E-mail: dhcampbe@usgs.gov; Aiken, George R. [US Geological Survey, 3215 Marine Street, Suite E-127, Boulder, CO 80303 (United States)], E-mail: graiken@usgs.gov; Krabbenhoft, David P. [US Geological Survey, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562 (United States)], E-mail: dpkrabbe@usgs.gov; Hunt, Randall J. [US Geological Survey, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562 (United States)], E-mail: rjhunt@usgs.gov; Walker, John F. [US Geological Survey, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562 (United States)], E-mail: jfwalker@usgs.gov; Schuster, Paul F. [US Geological Survey, 3215 Marine Street, Suite E-127, Boulder, CO 80303 (United States)], E-mail: pschuste@usgs.gov; Chalmers, Ann [US Geological Survey, PO Box 628, Montpelier, VT 05601 (United States)], E-mail: chalmers@usgs.gov; Aulenbach, Brent T. [US Geological Survey, 3039 Amwiler Road, Suite 130, Atlanta, GA 30360 (United States)], E-mail: btaulenb@usgs.gov; Peters, Norman E. [US Geological Survey, 3039 Amwiler Road, Suite 130, Atlanta, GA 30360 (United States)], E-mail: nepeters@usgs.gov; Marvin-DiPasquale, Mark [US Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Rd., MS 480, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (United States)], E-mail: mmarvin@usgs.gov; Clow, David W. [US Geological Survey, MS 415 Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225 (United States)], E-mail: dwclow@usgs.gov; Shafer, Martin M. [Environmental Chemistry and Technology and Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States)], E-mail: mmshafer@wisc.edu

2008-07-15

The small watershed approach is well-suited but underutilized in mercury research. We applied the small watershed approach to investigate total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) dynamics in streamwater at the five diverse forested headwater catchments of the US Geological Survey Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB) program. At all sites, baseflow THg was generally less than 1 ng L{sup -1} and MeHg was less than 0.2 ng L{sup -1}. THg and MeHg concentrations increased with streamflow, so export was primarily episodic. At three sites, THg and MeHg concentration and export were dominated by the particulate fraction in association with POC at high flows, with maximum THg (MeHg) concentrations of 94 (2.56) ng L{sup -1} at Sleepers River, Vermont; 112 (0.75) ng L{sup -1} at Rio Icacos, Puerto Rico; and 55 (0.80) ng L{sup -1} at Panola Mt., Georgia. Filtered (<0.7 {mu}m) THg increased more modestly with flow in association with the hydrophobic acid fraction (HPOA) of DOC, with maximum filtered THg concentrations near 5 ng L{sup -1} at both Sleepers and Icacos. At Andrews Creek, Colorado, THg export was also episodic but was dominated by filtered THg, as POC concentrations were low. MeHg typically tracked THg so that each site had a fairly constant MeHg/THg ratio, which ranged from near zero at Andrews to 15% at the low-relief, groundwater-dominated Allequash Creek, Wisconsin. Allequash was the only site with filtered MeHg consistently above detection, and the filtered fraction dominated both THg and MeHg. Relative to inputs in wet deposition, watershed retention of THg (minus any subsequent volatilization) was 96.6% at Allequash, 60% at Sleepers, and 83% at Andrews. Icacos had a net export of THg, possibly due to historic gold mining or frequent disturbance from landslides. Quantification and interpretation of Hg dynamics was facilitated by the small watershed approach with emphasis on event sampling. - High-flow sampling reveals strong contrasts in total

Atmospheric mercury emissions in Australia from anthropogenic, natural and recycled sources

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Nelson, Peter F.; Morrison, Anthony L.; Malfroy, Hugh J.; Cope, Martin; Lee, Sunhee; Hibberd, Mark L.; Meyer, C. P. (Mick); McGregor, John

2012-12-01

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has begun a process of developing a legally binding instrument to manage emissions of mercury from anthropogenic sources. The UNEP Governing Council has concluded that there is sufficient evidence of significant global adverse impacts from mercury to warrant further international action; and that national, regional and global actions should be initiated as soon as possible to identify populations at risk and to reduce human generated releases. This paper describes the development of, and presents results from, a comprehensive, spatially and temporally resolved inventory of atmospheric mercury emissions from the Australian landmass. Results indicate that the best estimate of total anthropogenic emissions of mercury to the atmosphere in 2006 was 15 ± 5 tonnes. Three industrial sectors contribute substantially to Australian anthropogenic emissions: gold smelting (˜50%, essentially from a single site/operation), coal combustion in power plants (˜15%) and alumina production from bauxite (˜12%). A diverse range of other sectors contribute smaller proportions of the emitted mercury, but industrial emissions account for around 90% of total anthropogenic mercury emissions. The other sectors include other industrial sources (mining, smelting, and cement production) and the use of products containing mercury. It is difficult to determine historical trends in mercury emissions given the large uncertainties in the data. Estimates for natural and re-emitted emissions from soil, water, vegetation and fires are made using meteorological models, satellite observations of land cover and soil and vegetation type, fuel loading, fire scars and emission factors which account for the effects of temperature, insolation and other environmental variables. These natural and re-emitted sources comfortably exceed the anthropogenic emissions, and comprise 4-12 tonnes per year from vegetation, 70-210 tonnes per year from soils, and 21-63 tonnes

Mercury-impacted scrap metal: Source and nature of the mercury.

Science.gov (United States)

Finster, Molly E; Raymond, Michelle R; Scofield, Marcienne A; Smith, Karen P

2015-09-15

The reuse and recycling of industrial solid wastes such as scrap metal is supported and encouraged both internationally and domestically, especially when such wastes can be used as substitutes for raw material. However, scrap metal processing facilities, such as mini-mills, have been identified as a source of mercury (Hg) emissions in the United States. This research aims to better define some of the key issues related to the source and nature of mercury in the scrap metal waste stream. Overall, it is difficult to pinpoint the key mercury sources feeding into scrap metal recycling facilities, quantify their associated mercury concentrations, or determine which chemical forms are most significant. Potential sources of mercury in scrap metal include mercury switches from discarded vehicles, electronic-based scrap from household appliances and related industrial systems, and Hg-impacted scrap metal from the oil and gas industry. The form of mercury associated with scrap metal varies and depends on the source type. The specific amount of mercury that can be adsorbed and retained by steel appears to be a function of both metallurgical and environmental factors. In general, the longer the steel is in contact with a fluid or condensate that contains measurable concentrations of elemental mercury, the greater the potential for mercury accumulation in that steel. Most mercury compounds are thermally unstable at elevated temperatures (i.e., above 350 °C). As such, the mercury associated with impacted scrap is expected to be volatilized out of the metal when it is heated during processing (e.g., shredding or torch cutting) or melted in a furnace. This release of fugitive gas (Hg vapor) and particulates, as well as Hg-impacted bag-house dust and control filters, could potentially pose an occupational exposure risk to workers at a scrap metal processing facility. Thus, identifying and characterizing the key sources of Hg-impacted scrap, and understanding the nature and extent

Annual ambient atmospheric mercury speciation measurement from Longjing, a rural site in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Guor-Cheng; Lo, Chaur-Tsuen; Cho, Meng-Hsien; Zhuang, Yuan-Jie; Tsai, Kai-Hsiang; Huang, Chao-Yang; Xiao, You-Fu

2017-08-01

The main purpose of this study was to monitor ambient air particulates and mercury species [RGM, Hg(p), GEM and total mercury] concentrations and dry depositions over rural area at Longjing in central Taiwan during October 2014 to September 2015. In addition, passive air sampler and knife-edge surrogate surface samplers were used to collect the ambient air mercury species concentrations and dry depositions, respectively, in this study. Moreover, direct mercury analyzer was directly used to detect the mercury Hg(p) and RGM concentrations. The result indicated that: (1) The average highest RGM, Hg(p), GEM and total mercury concentrations, and dry depositions were observed in January, prevailing dust storm occurred in winter season was the possible major reason responsible for the above findings. (2) The highest average RGM, Hg(p), GEM and total mercury concentrations, dry depositions and velocities were occurred in winter. This is because that China is the largest atmospheric mercury (Hg) emitter in the world. Its Hg emissions and environmental impacts need to be evaluated. (3) The results indicated that the total mercury ratios of Kaohsiung to that of this study were 5.61. This is because that Kaohsiung has the largest industry density (~60 %) in Taiwan. (4) the USA showed average lower mercury species concentrations when compared to those of the other world countries. The average ratios of China/USA values were 89, 76 and 160 for total mercury, RGM and Hg(p), respectively, during the years of 2000-2012.

Assessment of Dietary Mercury Intake and Blood Mercury Levels in the Korean Population: Results from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey 2012–2014

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Seong-Ah Kim

2016-09-01

Full Text Available From a public health perspective, there is growing concern about dietary mercury intake as the most important source of mercury exposure. This study was performed to estimate dietary mercury exposure and to analyze the association between mercury intake and blood mercury levels in Koreans. The study subjects were 553 adults, comprising a 10% representative subsample of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS 2012–2014, who completed a health examination, a face-to-face interview, and a three-day food record. Dietary mercury and methylmercury intakes were assessed from the three-day food record, and blood mercury concentration was measured using a mercury analyzer. The association between dietary mercury intake and blood mercury levels was analyzed by comparing the odds ratios for the blood mercury levels above the Human BioMonitoring (HBM I value (5 μg/L among the three groups with different mercury intakes. The average total mercury intake was 4.74 and 3.07 μg/day in males and females, respectively. The food group that contributed most to mercury intake was fish and shellfish, accounting for 77.8% of total intake. The geometric mean of the blood mercury concentration significantly and linearly increased with the mercury and methylmercury intakes (p < 0.001. The odds ratios for blood mercury levels above the HBM I value in the highest mercury and methyl mercury intake group were 3.27 (95% Confidence Interval (CI 1.79–5.95 and 3.20 (95% CI 1.77–5.79 times higher than that of the lowest intake group, respectively. Our results provide compelling evidence that blood mercury level has a strong positive association with dietary intake, and that fish and shellfish contribute most to the dietary mercury exposure.

Assessment of Dietary Mercury Intake and Blood Mercury Levels in the Korean Population: Results from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey 2012–2014

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Seong-Ah; Kwon, YoungMin; Kim, Suejin; Joung, Hyojee

2016-01-01

From a public health perspective, there is growing concern about dietary mercury intake as the most important source of mercury exposure. This study was performed to estimate dietary mercury exposure and to analyze the association between mercury intake and blood mercury levels in Koreans. The study subjects were 553 adults, comprising a 10% representative subsample of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) 2012–2014, who completed a health examination, a face-to-face interview, and a three-day food record. Dietary mercury and methylmercury intakes were assessed from the three-day food record, and blood mercury concentration was measured using a mercury analyzer. The association between dietary mercury intake and blood mercury levels was analyzed by comparing the odds ratios for the blood mercury levels above the Human BioMonitoring (HBM) I value (5 μg/L) among the three groups with different mercury intakes. The average total mercury intake was 4.74 and 3.07 μg/day in males and females, respectively. The food group that contributed most to mercury intake was fish and shellfish, accounting for 77.8% of total intake. The geometric mean of the blood mercury concentration significantly and linearly increased with the mercury and methylmercury intakes (p mercury levels above the HBM I value in the highest mercury and methyl mercury intake group were 3.27 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.79–5.95) and 3.20 (95% CI 1.77–5.79) times higher than that of the lowest intake group, respectively. Our results provide compelling evidence that blood mercury level has a strong positive association with dietary intake, and that fish and shellfish contribute most to the dietary mercury exposure. PMID:27598185

Determination of chromium, mercury, selenium and zinc in marine fish species of Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazaratul Ashifa Abdullah Salim; Wee, B.S.; Ezwiza Sanuri; Mohd Suhaimi Hamzah; Mohd Suhaimi Elias, Shamsiah Abdul Rahman; Azian Hashim

2013-01-01

Full-text: Concentrations of chromium, mercury, selenium and zinc were determined in eight commonly edible marine fish species; mackerel, red snapper, thread fin, tuna, hard tail scads, val, doubled spotted queen fish and shark. This study was based on market basket method were those species were collected from two locations of Kuala Selangor and Kuala Terengganu. All elements were measured using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) technique. The accuracy and precision analysis were checked by analyzing Certified Reference Material (CRM) namely DORM-3 and MAA-2. Elements of interest in the edible parts of the investigated fish were mostly in the permissible safety levels for human consumption based on national and international safety guideline except for mercury where some fishes showed slightly higher concentrations than the guidelines. (author)

Determination of total and methylmercury compounds in the IAEA human hair intercomparison samples - Experience of the IAEA-MEL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horvat, M.; Liang, L.; Mandic, V.

1995-01-01

The programme of this CRP is focused on the analyses of human hair samples. There are only two human hair samples certified for total mercury, and no RMs for methylmercury compounds is available. One of the main objectives of this CRP is to produce, through the IAEA AQCS Programme, a human hair intercomparison material for quality assurance requirements in population monitoring programmes for total and methylmercury exposure. Through the reporting period, MESL has introduced a new method for simultaneous determination of total and methylmercury in biological samples. As the laboratory has close collaboration with the CRP's Reference Laboratory in Ljubljana, Slovenia, it has also been actively involved in the quality assurance component of this CRP. This report represents a summary on the results for total and methylmercury in two intercomparison samples, IAEA-085 and IAEA-086 using newly developed method

Mercury emission and speciation of coal-fired power plants in China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, S. X.; Zhang, L.; Li, G. H.; Wu, Y.; Hao, J. M.; Pirrone, N.; Sprovieri, F.; Ancora, M. P.

2010-02-01

Comprehensive field measurements are needed to understand the mercury emissions from Chinese power plants and to improve the accuracy of emission inventories. Characterization of mercury emissions and their behavior were measured in six typical coal-fired power plants in China. During the tests, the flue gas was sampled simultaneously at inlet and outlet of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), electrostatic precipitators (ESP), and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) using the Ontario Hydro Method (OHM). The pulverized coal, bottom ash, fly ash and gypsum were also sampled in the field. Mercury concentrations in coal burned in the measured power plants ranged from 17 to 385 μg/kg. The mercury mass balances for the six power plants varied from 87 to 116% of the input coal mercury for the whole system. The total mercury concentrations in the flue gas from boilers were at the range of 1.92-27.15 μg/m3, which were significantly related to the mercury contents in burned coal. The mercury speciation in flue gas right after the boiler is influenced by the contents of halogen, mercury, and ash in the burned coal. The average mercury removal efficiencies of ESP, ESP plus wet FGD, and ESP plus dry FGD-FF systems were 24%, 73% and 66%, respectively, which were similar to the average removal efficiencies of pollution control device systems in other countries such as US, Japan and South Korea. The SCR system oxidized 16% elemental mercury and reduced about 32% of total mercury. Elemental mercury, accounting for 66-94% of total mercury, was the dominant species emitted to the atmosphere. The mercury emission factor was also calculated for each power plant.

Mercury mass measurement in fluorescent lamps via neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viererbl, L.; Vinš, M.; Lahodová, Z.; Fuksa, A.; Kučera, J.; Koleška, M.; Voljanskij, A.

2015-01-01

Mercury is an essential component of fluorescent lamps. Not all fluorescent lamps are recycled, resulting in contamination of the environment with toxic mercury, making measurement of the mercury mass used in fluorescent lamps important. Mercury mass measurement of lamps via instrumental neutron activation analysis (NAA) was tested under various conditions in the LVR-15 research reactor. Fluorescent lamps were irradiated in different positions in vertical irradiation channels and a horizontal channel in neutron fields with total fluence rates from 3×10 8 cm −2 s −1 to 10 14 cm −2 s −1 . The 202 Hg(n,γ) 203 Hg nuclear reaction was used for mercury mass evaluation. Activities of 203 Hg and others induced radionuclides were measured via gamma spectrometry with an HPGe detector at various times after irradiation. Standards containing an Hg 2 Cl 2 compound were used to determine mercury mass. Problems arise from the presence of elements with a large effective cross section in luminescent material (europium, antimony and gadolinium) and glass (boron). The paper describes optimization of the NAA procedure in the LVR-15 research reactor with particular attention to influence of neutron self-absorption in fluorescent lamps. - Highlights: • Mercury is an essential component of fluorescent lamps. • Fluorescent lamps were irradiated in neutron fields in research reactor. • 203 Hg induced radionuclide activity was measured using gamma spectrometry. • Mercury mass in fluorescent lamps can be measured by neutron activation analysis.

Study of the Behavior and Distribution of Mercury in Soil Samples Collected on the Banks of the Valdeazogues River

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lominchar, M. A.; Sierra, M. J.; Rodiriguez, J.; Millam, R.

2010-01-01

The main objective of this study is to determine the behavior of mercury in the soil of the Valdeazogues river (Almaden, Ciudad Real, Spain) by using a six-step sequential extraction procedure (CIEMAT) and checking the relationship between the percentage of organic matter in soil and the percentage of mercury associated with the exchangeable and oxidizable fractions. The results show that total mercury concentrations in soil range from 116.7 ±24.3 to 245.5 ±59.6 mg kg - 1 of Hg even to concentrations of 350.9 ±68.6 mg kg -1 . However, the available mercury concentration is a smaller percentage of 0.15% of total mercury measured in the samples. Also, the soluble mercury is less than 0,037 mg kg - 1, so that, the leaching process and transport of mercury to surface water and groundwater are very slow. With regard to the distribution of mercury between the different fractions of soil, the metal is associated with more resistant soil fractions, these are: crystalline Fe-Mn oxyhydroxides, organic matter absorbed and the fi nal residue. (Author9) 50 refs.

Biomarkers of mercury exposure at a mercury recycling facility in Ukraine.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibb, Herman Jones; Kozlov, Kostj; Buckley, Jessie Poulin; Centeno, Jose; Jurgenson, Vera; Kolker, Allan; Conko, Kathryn; Landa, Edward; Panov, Boris; Panov, Yuri; Xu, Hanna

2008-08-01

This study evaluates biomarkers of occupational mercury exposure among workers at a mercury recycling operation in Gorlovka, Ukraine. The 29 study participants were divided into three occupational categories for analysis: (1) those who worked in the mercury recycling operation (Group A, n = 8), (2) those who worked at the facility but not in the yard where the recycling was done (Group B, n = 14), and (3) those who did not work at the facility (Group C, n = 7). Urine, blood, hair, and nail samples were collected from the participants, and a questionnaire was administered to obtain data on age, gender, occupational history, smoking, alcohol consumption, fish consumption, tattoos, dental amalgams, home heating system, education, source of drinking water, and family employment in the former mercury mine/smelter located on the site of the recycling facility. Each factor was tested in a univariate regression with total mercury in urine, blood, hair, and nails. Median biomarker concentrations were 4.04 microg/g-Cr (urine), 2.58 microg/L (blood), 3.95 microg/g (hair), and 1.16 microg/g (nails). Occupational category was significantly correlated (p recycling operation had the highest blood and urinary mercury levels. Those who worked at the facility but were not directly involved with the recycling operation had higher levels than those who did not work at the facility.

MESSENGER at Mercury: Early Orbital Operations

Science.gov (United States)

McNutt, Ralph L., Jr; Solomon, Sean C.; Bedini, Peter D.; Anderson, Brian J.; Blewett, David T.; Evans, Larry G.; Gold, Robert E.; Krimigis, Stamatios M.; Murchie, Scott L.; Nittler, Larry R.;

Biomonitoring of airborne mercury with perennial ryegrass cultures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Temmerman, Ludwig de; Claeys, Natacha; Roekens, Edward; Guns, Marc

2007-01-01

A biomonitoring network with grass cultures was established near a chlor-alkali plant and the mercury concentration in the cultures were compared with the average atmospheric total gaseous mercury (TGM). Biomonitoring techniques based on different exposure periods were carried out. When comparing the mercury concentration in the grass cultures, both the average atmospheric TGM concentration during exposure and the exposure time determined to a large extent the accumulation rate of TGM. The maximum tolerable level of mercury in grass (≅110 μg kg -1 DM) corresponds with an average TGM concentration of 11 ng m -3 for 28 days exposure. The background concentrations in grass were on an average 15 μg kg -1 DM and the effect detection limit (EDL) was 30 μg kg -1 DM. This value corresponds with an average TGM concentration of 3.2 and 4.2 ng m -3 for 28 and 14 days exposure, respectively, which is in turn the biological detection limit (BDL) of ambient TGM. Exposures for 7 days were less appropriate for biomonitoring. - Grass accumulates TGM as a function of the atmospheric concentration and exposure time

Assessment of mercury contamination of the Svitava and Svratka rivers and muscle of chub (Leuciscus cephalus L. in the urban agglomeration of Brno in the Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamila Kružíková

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This study focused on the total mercury and methylmercury content in the muscle of chub (Leuciscus cephalus L., the total mercury in the river sediments and the evaluation of health risks associated with fish contamination. Chub were caught at seven localities on the Svratka and Svitava rivers in the agglomeration of Brno in 2008. The results were compared to those obtained from the same sites in 2007. Total mercury was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry using an AMA 245 analyzer, and methylmercury was determined by gas chromatography (using an electron-capture detector after acid digestion and toluene extraction in chub muscle. The highest concentrations of total mercury and methylmercury (0.12 ± 0.14 and 0.07 ± 0.02 mg·kg-1 fresh weight, respectively were found in Svratka before junction (south of Brno, whereas the lowest concentration of mercury and methylmercury in chub (0.06 ± 0.01 and 0.04 ± 0.01 mg·kg-1 was detected in Svitava before junction with the Svratka River. Total mercury in sediments ranged from 0.01 to 1.05 mg·kg-1 dry weight, the highest value was detected in the sediment from Rajhradice. The lowest content (0.01 mg·kg-1 was at Kníničky. Hazard indices calculated for the selected localities showed no health risk for either a standard consumer or a fishing family. Fish from the Svitava and Svratka rivers show very low mercury concentration and hazard index and their consumption poses no health risk from total mercury and methylmercury contamination.

Formation of nanocolloidal metacinnabar in mercury-DOM-sulfide systems

Science.gov (United States)

Gerbig, Chase A.; Kim, Christopher S.; Stegemeier, John P.; Ryan, Joseph N.; Aiken, George R.

2011-01-01

Direct determination of mercury (Hg) speciation in sulfide-containing environments is confounded by low mercury concentrations and poor analytical sensitivity. Here we report the results of experiments designed to assess mercury speciation at environmentally relevant ratios of mercury to dissolved organic matter (DOM) (i.e., structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. Aqueous Hg(II) and a DOM isolate were equilibrated in the presence and absence of 100 μM total sulfide. In the absence of sulfide, mercury adsorption to the resin increased as the Hg:DOM ratio decreased and as the strength of Hg-DOM binding increased. EXAFS analysis indicated that in the absence of sulfide, mercury bonds with an average of 2.4 ± 0.2 sulfur atoms with a bond length typical of mercury-organic thiol ligands (2.35 Å). In the presence of sulfide, mercury showed greater affinity for the C18 resin, and its chromatographic behavior was independent of Hg:DOM ratio. EXAFS analysis showed mercury–sulfur bonds with a longer interatomic distance (2.51–2.53 Å) similar to the mercury–sulfur bond distance in metacinnabar (2.53 Å) regardless of the Hg:DOM ratio. For all samples containing sulfide, the sulfur coordination number was below the ideal four-coordinate structure of metacinnabar. At a low Hg:DOM ratio where strong binding DOM sites may control mercury speciation (1.9 nmol mg–1) mercury was coordinated by 2.3 ± 0.2 sulfur atoms, and the coordination number rose with increasing Hg:DOM ratio. The less-than-ideal coordination numbers indicate metacinnabar-like species on the nanometer scale, and the positive correlation between Hg:DOM ratio and sulfur coordination number suggests progressively increasing particle size or crystalline order with increasing abundance of mercury with respect to DOM. In DOM-containing sulfidic systems nanocolloidal metacinnabar-like species may form, and these species need to be considered when addressing mercury biogeochemistry.

Mercury and Methylmercury Concentrations in Muscle Tissue of Fish Caught in Major Rivers of the Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Kružíková

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to evaluate mercury contamination at twelve outlet sites of rivers in the Czech Republic (Labe, Ohře, Vltava, Berounka, Sázava, Otava, Lužnice, Svratka, Dyje, Morava and Odra. As an indicator, we used muscle tissue of the chub (Leuciscus cephalus caught at selected sites in 2007. A total of 96 fish were examined. Total mercury was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry using the AMA 254 analyzer and methylmercury was determined by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. Total mercury (THg and methylmercury (MeHg concentrations ranged 0.039–0.384 mg kg-1 fresh weight and 0.033–0.362 mg kg-1 fresh weight, respectively. Mercury bound in methylmercury (HgMe made up on average about 82.2% of total mercury. The highest mercury concentrations were found in fish from Obříství, a site on Labe (THg 0.263 ± 0.086 mg kg-1; MeHg 0.256 ± 0.084 mg kg-1. Mercury concentrations in fish from rivers that cross the borders of the Czech Republic (Labe, Odra and Morava were low. The Czech Republic therefore does not contribute significantly to river pollution outside its national borders. Hazard indices of the sites monitored were well below 1, and reached 1.365 only in Obříství on Labe for fisherman’s family members (i.e. in the case of annual consumption of 10 kg fish. This indicates possible hazards involved in eating meat of fish caught in that location. Based on PTWI for methylmercury, the maximum amount of fish meat allowed for consumption per week was calculated. The site with the lowest value was Obříství on Labe (0.44 kg. The results of this study present a partial contribution to health risk assessment on the major rivers in Czech Republic.

Speciation of mercury in fish samples by flow injection catalytic cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yanlin; Adeloju, Samuel B.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Successful speciation of inorganic and organic Hg with Fe 3+ , Cu 2+ and thiourea as catalysts. ► Best sensitivity enhancement and similar sensitivity for MeHg and Hg 2+ with Fe 3+ . ► Successful use of Hg 2+ as the primary standard for quantification of inorganic and total-Hg. ► Quantitative extraction of Hg and MeHg with 2 M HCl which contained thiourea. ► Integration with FIA for rapid analysis with a sample throughput of 180 h −1 . - Abstract: A rapid flow injection catalytic cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometric (FI-CCV-AAS) method is described for speciation and determination of mercury in biological samples. Varying concentrations of NaBH 4 were employed for mercury vapour generation from inorganic and mixture of inorganic and organic (total) Hg. The presence of Fe 3+ , Cu 2+ and thiourea had catalytic effect on mercury vapour generation from methylmercury (MeHg) and, when together, Cu 2+ and thiourea had synergistic catalytic effect on the vapour generation. Of the two metal ions, Fe 3+ gave the best sensitivity enhancement, achieving the same sensitivity for MeHg and inorganic Hg 2+ . Due to similarity of resulting sensitivity, Hg 2+ was used successfully as a primary standard for quantification of inorganic and total Hg. The catalysis was homogeneous in nature, and it was assumed that the breaking of the C-Hg bond was facilitated by the delocalization of the 5d electron pairs in Hg atom. The extraction of MeHg and inorganic mercury (In-Hg) in fish samples were achieved quantitatively with hydrochloric acid in the presence of thiourea and determined by FI-CCV-AAS. The application of the method to the quantification of mercury species in a fish liver reference material DOLT-4 gave 91.5% and 102.3% recoveries for total and methyl mercury, respectively. The use of flow injection enabled rapid analysis with a sample throughput of 180 h −1 .

Influence of eutrophication on the distribution of total mercury and methylmercury in hydroelectric reservoirs.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Bo; Feng, X B; Chen, C X; Qiu, G L; Sommar, J; Guo, Y N; Liang, P; Wan, Q

2010-01-01

The distribution of mercury (Hg) and the characteristics of its methylation were investigated in Wujiangdu (WJD) and Yinzidu (YZD) reservoirs in Guizhou province, China. The two reservoirs are characterized by high and low levels of primary productivity, respectively. Mercury species in water samples from depth profiles in both reservoirs and from interface water in the WJD were analyzed each season during 2007. The concentrations of total Hg (HgT(unf)) and methylmercury (MeHgT(unf)) in unfiltered water samples from the WJD varied from 3.0 to 18 pmol dm(-3) and from 0.17 to 15 pmol dm(-3), respectively; ranges were 2.0 to 9.5 pmol dm(-3) for HgT(unf) and 0.14 to 2.2 pmol dm(-3) for MeHgT(unf) in the YZD. Elevated methylmercury concentrations in water samples from the bottom water and water-sediment interface demonstrated an active net Hg methylation in the downstream reach of the WJD. There was no discernable Hg methylation occurring in the YZD, nor in the upstream and middle reaches of the WJD. The results suggest that high primary productivity resulting from cage aquaculture activities in the WJD is an important control on Hg methylation in the reservoir, increasing the concentrations of MeHg in water in the Wujiang River basin Southwestern China.

Mercury content of some foodstuffs of vegetable origin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, D F; Thomas, B; Roughan, J A; Watters, E D

1972-01-01

An analytical method and results are given for the determination of total mercury residues in: Brussels sprouts; cabbages, heading broccoli and kale; potatoes; apples; carrots; imported tomatoes; tinned tomatoes, tomato juices and purees; rice; sugar. Residues in the 146 samples were in the range <0.001 to 0.010 parts/million, the mean being 0.0027 parts/million. 7 references, 1 table.

Chloroplatinum(II) complex-modified MWCNTs paste electrode for electrochemical determination of mercury in skin lightening cosmetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isa, Illyas Md; Saidin, Mohamad Idris; Ahmad, Mustaffa; Hashim, Norhayati; Bakar, Suriani Abu; Ali, Noorshida Mohd; Si, Suyanta M.

2017-01-01

The chemically modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) paste electrode with chloroplatinum(II) complex for the determination of mercury is presented. The chloroplatinum(II) complex was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The capability of the electron transfer rate on the surface of modified electrode evaluated is by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The square wave stripping voltammetry (SWSV) technique was employed to investigate the performance of chloroplatinum(II) complex-MWCNTs paste electrode for determination of mercury. Several operational parameters such as the composition ratios of the electrode, type of supporting electrolyte, pH of the solution, and the SWSV parameters were thoroughly investigated. Under optimal conditions, the linear range obtained was from 5.0 μM to 0.1 mM with limit detection of 3.7 μM. The interference from other heavy metals such as Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Ni 2+ , Zn 2+ , Cd 2+ , Co 2+ , Ba 2+ , Mn 2+ , and Ce 3+ did not influence the electrochemical response. The chloroplatinum(II) complex-MWCNTs paste electrode was successfully applied to determine mercury in skin lightening cosmetics with a good recovery (98.9%–101.1%).

Mercury and selenium levels, and selenium:mercury molar ratios of brain, muscle and other tissues in bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) from New Jersey, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Burger, Joanna; Jeitner, Christian; Donio, Mark; Pittfield, Taryn; Gochfeld, Michael

2015-01-01

A number of contaminants affect fish health, including mercury and selenium, and the selenium: mercury molar ratio. Recently the protective effects of selenium on methylmercury toxicity have been publicized, particularly for consumption of saltwater fish. Yet the relative ameliorating effects of selenium on toxicity within fish have not been examined, nor has the molar ratio in different tissues, (i.e. brain). We examined mercury and selenium levels in brain, kidney, liver, red and white muscle, and skin and scales in bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) from New Jersey to determine whether there were toxic levels of either metal, and we computed the selenium: mercury molar ratios by tissues. Total mercury averaged 0.32 ± 0.02 ppm wet weight in edible muscle and 0.09 ± 0.01 ppm in brain. Selenium concentration averaged 0.37 ± 0.03 in muscle and 0.36 ± 0.03 ppm in brain. There were significant differences in levels of mercury, selenium, and selenium: mercury molar ratios, among tissues. Mercury and selenium levels were correlated in kidney and skin/scales. Mercury levels were highest in kidney, intermediate in muscle and liver, and lowest in brain and skin/scales; selenium levels were also highest in kidney, intermediate in liver, and were an order of magnitude lower in the white muscle and brain. Mercury levels in muscle, kidney and skin/scales were positively correlated with fish size (length). Selenium levels in muscle, kidney and liver were positively correlated with fish length, but in brain; selenium levels were negatively correlated with fish length. The selenium: mercury molar ratio was negatively correlated with fish length for white muscle, liver, kidney, and brain, particularly for fish over 50 cm in length, suggesting that older fish experience less protective advantages of selenium against mercury toxicity than smaller fish, and that consumers of bluefish similarly receive less advantage from eating larger fish. PMID:23202378

Mercury emission and speciation of coal-fired power plants in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. X. Wang

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Comprehensive field measurements are needed to understand the mercury emissions from Chinese power plants and to improve the accuracy of emission inventories. Characterization of mercury emissions and their behavior were measured in six typical coal-fired power plants in China. During the tests, the flue gas was sampled simultaneously at inlet and outlet of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR, electrostatic precipitators (ESP, and flue gas desulfurization (FGD using the Ontario Hydro Method (OHM. The pulverized coal, bottom ash, fly ash and gypsum were also sampled in the field. Mercury concentrations in coal burned in the measured power plants ranged from 17 to 385 μg/kg. The mercury mass balances for the six power plants varied from 87 to 116% of the input coal mercury for the whole system. The total mercury concentrations in the flue gas from boilers were at the range of 1.92–27.15 μg/m³, which were significantly related to the mercury contents in burned coal. The mercury speciation in flue gas right after the boiler is influenced by the contents of halogen, mercury, and ash in the burned coal. The average mercury removal efficiencies of ESP, ESP plus wet FGD, and ESP plus dry FGD-FF systems were 24%, 73% and 66%, respectively, which were similar to the average removal efficiencies of pollution control device systems in other countries such as US, Japan and South Korea. The SCR system oxidized 16% elemental mercury and reduced about 32% of total mercury. Elemental mercury, accounting for 66–94% of total mercury, was the dominant species emitted to the atmosphere. The mercury emission factor was also calculated for each power plant.

EVALUATION OF TOTAL MERCURY CONTENT IN MUSCLE TISSUE OF MARINE FISH AND ANIMALS

OpenAIRE

Daniel Bajčan; Július Árvay; Janette Musilová

2013-01-01

Nowdays, a degree of contamination by heavy metals can be observed in the environment. Heavy metals have serious effects on all living organisms because they can accumulate in lethal or sublethal concentrations in the various parts of food chain and so they can cause different health problems like cardiovascular and cancer diseases. Marine fish and animals are one of the bigges source of mercury in human food. Therefore this work is focused to the rate of mercury content in muscle tisuues of ...

Multi-model study of mercury dispersion in the atmosphere: vertical and interhemispheric distribution of mercury species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Bieser

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Atmospheric chemistry and transport of mercury play a key role in the global mercury cycle. However, there are still considerable knowledge gaps concerning the fate of mercury in the atmosphere. This is the second part of a model intercomparison study investigating the impact of atmospheric chemistry and emissions on mercury in the atmosphere. While the first study focused on ground-based observations of mercury concentration and deposition, here we investigate the vertical and interhemispheric distribution and speciation of mercury from the planetary boundary layer to the lower stratosphere. So far, there have been few model studies investigating the vertical distribution of mercury, mostly focusing on single aircraft campaigns. Here, we present a first comprehensive analysis based on various aircraft observations in Europe, North America, and on intercontinental flights. The investigated models proved to be able to reproduce the distribution of total and elemental mercury concentrations in the troposphere including interhemispheric trends. One key aspect of the study is the investigation of mercury oxidation in the troposphere. We found that different chemistry schemes were better at reproducing observed oxidized mercury patterns depending on altitude. High concentrations of oxidized mercury in the upper troposphere could be reproduced with oxidation by bromine while elevated concentrations in the lower troposphere were better reproduced by OH and ozone chemistry. However, the results were not always conclusive as the physical and chemical parameterizations in the chemistry transport models also proved to have a substantial impact on model results.

Determinação de mercúrio total em amostras de água, sedimento e sólidos em suspensão de corpos aquáticos por espectrofotometria de absorção atômica com gerador de vapor a frio Determination of total mercury in water, sediments and solids in suspension in aquatic systems by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José L. F. Vieira

1996-06-01

Full Text Available O emprego de mercúrio metálico nos processos de extração do ouro libera toneladas de mercúrio ao meio ambiente, provocando um aumento considerável nas concentrações presentes. Com a finalidade de prevenir a exposição humana a concentrações excessivas, o que poderá resultar em graves episódios de intoxicação mercurial, bem como avaliar a possibilidade de sedimentos tornarem-se fontes potenciais de contaminação para os seres vivos, é de fundamental importância a monitorização do mercúrio em diversos compartimentos ambientais. Efetuou-se a padronização de uma metodologia analítica para determinação de mercúrio total em amostras de água, sólidos em suspensão e sedimentos de corpos aquáticos para monitorização ambiental do xenobiótico. Posteriormente, foram analisadas amostras oriundas de regiões garimpeiras, com vistas a avaliar o desempenho do método em amostras reais e efetuar levantamento preliminar sobre a contaminação mercurial na área de estudo.The use of metallic mercury in the extraction and concentration of gold causes the discarding of tons of this metal in the environment, leading to a considerable increase in the natural levels of the same and the contamination of the surrounding areas. Thus it is extremely important to monitor the presence of this metal in various sectors of the environment with a view aiming to previnting human exposure to excessive concentrations which can result in serious episodes of mercury poisoning. It is also important to estimate the possibility of river sediments becoming potential sources of contamination of human beings. The determination of total mercury was undertaken by using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. River waters, as well as sediments and suspended solids were used as samples for the standardization of the analytical procedure. Later on, this method was tested on samples originating in gold mining areas for the purpose of assessing its validity.

Mercury pollution in sediments, benthic organisms and inshore fishes of Haifa Bay, Israel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hornung, H; Krumgalz, B S; Cohen, Y

1984-01-01

Total mercury concentrations were determined in surficial sediments, eleven species of benthic organisms and six species of fish from Haifa Bay, Israel. The results show that essentially all of the shallow water zone of the Bay receives anthropogenic mercury. A mercury-cell chlor-alkali plant was identified as the source of pollution. Surficial sediments in vicinity of the plant, containing up to 0.99 micro-g Hg/g dry weight, were up to 157 times enriched in mercury relative to an unpolluted area. Mercury levels in the benthic organisms reflected the levels in the sediments. Maximal concentrations reaching 38.7 and 18.2 micro-g Hg/g dry weight were found in the carnivorous gastropod mollusks Arcularia circumcinta and Arcularia gibbosula, respectively. In all fish species, specimens caught in Haifa Bay had higher mercury concentrations in the muscle tissue than specimens caught south of the Bay. A maximal value of 1.66 micro-g Hg/g wet weight was recorded in Diplodus sargus. 17 references, 3 figures, 3 tables.

Enhanced capture of elemental mercury by bamboo-based sorbents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan, Zengqiang; Xiang, Jun; Su, Sheng; Zeng, Hancai; Zhou, Changsong; Sun, Lushi; Hu, Song; Qiu, Jianrong

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The KI-modified BC has excellent capacity for elemental mercury removal. ► The chemisorption plays a dominant role for the modified BC materials. ► The BC-I has strong anti-poisoning ability with the presence of NO or SO 2 . - Abstract: To develop cost-effective sorbent for gas-phase elemental mercury removal, the bamboo charcoal (BC) produced from renewable bamboo and KI modified BC (BC-I) were used for elemental mercury removal. The effect of NO, SO 2 on gas-phase Hg 0 adsorption by KI modified BC was evaluated on a fixed bed reactor using an online mercury analyzer. BET surface area analysis, temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to determine the pore structure and surface chemistry of the sorbents. The results show that KI impregnation reduced the sorbents’ BET surface area and total pore volume compared with that of the original BC. But the BC-I has excellent adsorption capacity for elemental mercury at a relatively higher temperature of 140 °C and 180 °C. The presence of NO or SO 2 could inhibit Hg 0 capture, but BC-I has strong anti-poisoning ability. The specific reaction mechanism has been further analyzed.

Cadmium, mercury and selenium concentrations in mink (Mustela vison) from Yukon, Canada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gamberg, Mary [Gamberg Consulting, Box 10460, Whitehorse, Yukon, Y1A 7A1 (Canada)]. E-mail: mary.gamberg@northwestel.net; Boila, Gail [Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N6 (Canada); Stern, Gary [Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N6 (Canada); Roach, Patrick [Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, Suite 300, 300 Main Street, Whitehorse, Yukon, Y1A 2B5 (Canada)

2005-12-01

Mercury (total and methyl), cadmium and selenium concentrations were measured in liver, kidney and brain tissue from mink trapped from the Yukon Territory from 2001-2002. None of these metals was found at levels of toxicological concern. Total mercury averaged 0.66, 0.92 and 0.22 {mu}g g{sup -1} in mink kidney, liver and brain tissue respectively, while methyl mercury averaged 0.77, 0.85 and 0.21 {mu}g g{sup -1} in the same tissues. Selenium averaged 2.07, 1.40 and 0.39 {mu}g g{sup -1} in mink kidney, liver and brain tissue, while cadmium was only measured in kidneys and averaged 0.22 {mu}g g{sup -1}. All element concentrations are presented on a wet weight basis. Concentrations of total mercury in all tissues were significantly higher in female than male mink, possibly reflecting proportionally greater food consumption by the smaller females. Total mercury concentrations were inversely related to the proportion of mercury present as methylmercury, and positively related to concentrations of selenium, consistent with increasing demethylation of methylmercury, and the formation of mercuric selenide as total concentrations of mercury increased. This relationship was seen most strongly in mink liver, less so in kidneys and not at all in brains where most of the mercury was maintained in the methyl form. There did not appear to be any geographical areas in which mink had obviously higher concentrations of mercury, and there was frequently a relatively large range of mercury levels found in mink from a given trapline. Mink diet may be a factor in this variation. Local environmental levels of cadmium were not reflected in cadmium concentrations in mink tissues. Mercury, cadmium and selenium do not appear to constitute environmental hazards to mink in the Yukon.

Cadmium, mercury and selenium concentrations in mink (Mustela vison) from Yukon, Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gamberg, Mary; Boila, Gail; Stern, Gary; Roach, Patrick

2005-01-01

Mercury (total and methyl), cadmium and selenium concentrations were measured in liver, kidney and brain tissue from mink trapped from the Yukon Territory from 2001-2002. None of these metals was found at levels of toxicological concern. Total mercury averaged 0.66, 0.92 and 0.22 μg g -1 in mink kidney, liver and brain tissue respectively, while methyl mercury averaged 0.77, 0.85 and 0.21 μg g -1 in the same tissues. Selenium averaged 2.07, 1.40 and 0.39 μg g -1 in mink kidney, liver and brain tissue, while cadmium was only measured in kidneys and averaged 0.22 μg g -1 . All element concentrations are presented on a wet weight basis. Concentrations of total mercury in all tissues were significantly higher in female than male mink, possibly reflecting proportionally greater food consumption by the smaller females. Total mercury concentrations were inversely related to the proportion of mercury present as methylmercury, and positively related to concentrations of selenium, consistent with increasing demethylation of methylmercury, and the formation of mercuric selenide as total concentrations of mercury increased. This relationship was seen most strongly in mink liver, less so in kidneys and not at all in brains where most of the mercury was maintained in the methyl form. There did not appear to be any geographical areas in which mink had obviously higher concentrations of mercury, and there was frequently a relatively large range of mercury levels found in mink from a given trapline. Mink diet may be a factor in this variation. Local environmental levels of cadmium were not reflected in cadmium concentrations in mink tissues. Mercury, cadmium and selenium do not appear to constitute environmental hazards to mink in the Yukon

Mercury content of shark from south-western Australian waters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caputi, N.; Edmonds, J.S.; Heald, D.I.

1979-11-01

Muscle samples from four species of commercially sought sharks off the Western Australia coast were analyzed for total mercury. While substantial amounts of mercury were accumulated by sharks, as by other marine fish, the lack of polluting industry on the coast indicates that such mercury levels probably are natural. Mercury concentrations generally increased with fish size. (4 graphs, 1 map, 8 references, 2 tables)

Mercury Report-Children's exposure to elemental mercury

Science.gov (United States)

... gov . Mercury Background Mercury Report Additional Resources Mercury Report - Children's Exposure to Elemental Mercury Recommend on Facebook ... I limit exposure to mercury? Why was the report written? Children attending a daycare in New Jersey ...

Mercury in urban soils: A comparison of local spatial variability in six European cities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigues, S.; Pereira, M.E.; Duarte, A.C.; Ajmone-Marsan, F.; Davidson, C.M.; Grcman, H.; Hossack, I.; Hursthouse, A.S.; Ljung, K.; Martini, C.; Otabbong, E.; Reinoso, R.; Ruiz-Cortes, E.; Urquhart, G.J.; Vrscaj, B.

2006-01-01

The objective of this study was to quantify and assess for the first time the variability of total mercury in urban soils at a European level, using a systematic sampling strategy and a common methodology. We report results from a comparison between soil samples from Aveiro (Portugal), Glasgow (Scotland), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Sevilla (Spain), Torino (Italy) and Uppsala (Sweden). At least 25 sampling points (in about 4-5 ha) from a park in each city were sampled at two depths (0-10 and 10-20 cm). Total mercury was determined by pyrolysis atomic absorption spectrometry with gold amalgamation. The quality of results was monitored using certified reference materials (BCR 142R and BCR 141R). Measured total mercury contents varied from 0.015 to 6.3 mg kg -1 . The lowest median values were found in Aveiro, for both surface (0-10 cm) and sub-surface (10-20 cm) samples (0.055 and 0.054 mg kg -1 , respectively). The highest median mercury contents in soil samples were found in samples from Glasgow (1.2 and 1.3 mg kg -1 , for surface and sub-surface samples, respectively). High variability of mercury concentrations was observed, both within each park and between cities. This variability reflecting contributions from natural background, previous anthropogenic activities and differences in the ages of cities and land use, local environmental conditions as well as the influence of their location within the urban area. Short-range variability of mercury concentrations was found to be up to an order of magnitude over the distance of only a few 10 m

Spatial and temporal variations of mercury levels in Okefenokee invertebrates: Southeast Georgia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

George, Bagie M.; Batzer, Darold

2008-01-01

Accumulation of mercury in wetland ecosystems has raised concerns about impacts on wetland food webs. This study measured concentrations of mercury in invertebrates of the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia, focusing on levels in amphipods, odonates, and crayfish. We collected and analyzed total mercury levels in these invertebrates from 32 sampling stations across commonly occurring sub-habitats. Sampling was conducted in December, May, and August over a two-year period. The highest levels of mercury were detected in amphipods, with total mercury levels often in excess of 20 ppm. Bioaccumulation pathways of mercury in invertebrates of the Okefenokee are probably complex; despite being larger and higher in the food chain, levels in odonates and crayfish were much lower than in amphipods. Mercury levels in invertebrates varied temporally with the highest levels detected in May. There was a lack of spatial variation in mercury levels which is consistent with aerial deposition of mercury. - This study measured mercury levels in invertebrates and found the highest levels in amphipods

Total- and methyl-mercury concentrations and methylation rates across the freshwater to hypersaline continuum of the Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, William P.; Swanson, Neil; Black, Brooks; Rudd, Abigail; Carling, Gregory; Fernandez, Diego P.; Luft, John; Van Leeuwen, Jim; Marvin-DiPasquale, Mark C.

2015-01-01

We examined mercury (Hg) speciation in water and sediment of the Great Salt Lake and surrounding wetlands, a locale spanning fresh to hypersaline and oxic to anoxic conditions, in order to test the hypothesis that spatial and temporal variations in Hg concentration and methylation rates correspond to observed spatial and temporal trends in Hg burdens previously reported in biota. Water column, sediment, and pore water concentrations of methylmercury (MeHg) and total mercury (THg), as well as related aquatic chemical parameters were examined. Inorganic Hg(II)-methylation rates were determined in selected water column and sediment subsamples spiked with inorganic divalent mercury (204Hg(II)). Net production of Me204Hg was expressed as apparent first-order rate constants for methylation (kmeth), which were also expanded to MeHg production potential (MPP) rates via combination with tin reducible ‘reactive’ Hg(II) (Hg(II)R) as a proxy for bioavailable Hg(II). Notable findings include: 1) elevated Hg concentrations previously reported in birds and brine flies were spatially proximal to the measured highest MeHg concentrations, the latter occurring in the anoxic deep brine layer (DBL) of the Great Salt Lake; 2) timing of reduced Hg(II)-methylation rates in the DBL (according to both kmeth and MPP) coincides with reduced Hg burdens among aquatic invertebrates (brine shrimp and brine flies) that act as potential vectors of Hg propagation to the terrestrial ecosystem; 3) values ofkmeth were found to fall within the range reported by other studies; and 4) MPP rates were on the lower end of the range reported in methodologically comparable studies, suggesting the possibility that elevated MeHg in the anoxic deep brine layer results from its accumulation and persistence in this quasi-isolated environment, due to the absence of light (restricting abiotic photo demethylation) and/or minimal microbiological demethylation.

Mercury CEM Calibration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

John Schabron; Joseph Rovani; Mark Sanderson

2008-02-29

outputs of mercury generators are compared to one another using a nesting procedure which allows direct comparison of one generator with another and eliminates analyzer variability effects. The qualification portion of the EPA interim traceability protocol requires the vendors to define generator performance as affected by variables such as pressure, temperature, line voltage, and shipping. WRI is focusing efforts to determine actual generator performance related to the variables defined in the qualification portion of the interim protocol. The protocol will then be further revised by EPA based on what can actually be achieved with the generators. Another focus of the study is to evaluate approaches for field verification of generator performance. Upcoming work includes evaluation of oxidized mercury calibration generators, for which a separate protocol will be prepared by EPA. In addition, the variability of the spectrometers/analyzers under various environmental conditions needs to be defined and understood better. A main objective of the current work is to provide data on the performance and capabilities of elemental mercury generator/calibration systems for the development of realistic NIST traceability protocols for mercury vapor standards for continuous emission CEM calibration. This work is providing a direct contribution to the enablement of continuous emissions monitoring at coal-fired power plants in conformance with the CAMR. EPA Specification 12 states that mercury CEMs must be calibrated with NIST-traceable standards (Federal Register 2005). The initial draft of an elemental mercury generator traceability protocol was circulated by EPA in May 2007 for comment, and an interim protocol was issued in August 2007 (EPA 2007). Initially it was assumed that the calibration and implementation of mercury CEMs would be relatively simple, and implementation would follow the implementation of the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} monitoring, and

Assessment of mercury exposure among small-scale gold miners using mercury stable isotopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sherman, Laura S., E-mail: lsaylors@umich.edu [University of Michigan, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 1100 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Blum, Joel D. [University of Michigan, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 1100 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Basu, Niladri [McGill University, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada H9X3V9 (Canada); Rajaee, Mozhgon [University of Michigan, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Evers, David C.; Buck, David G. [Biodiversity Research Institute, 19 Flaggy Meadow Road, Gorham, ME 04038 (United States); Petrlik, Jindrich [Arnika Association, Chlumova 17, Prague 3 (Czech Republic); DiGangi, Joseph [IPEN, Box 7256, SE-402 35 Gothenburg (Sweden)

2015-02-15

Total mercury (Hg) concentrations in hair and urine are often used as biomarkers of exposure to fish-derived methylmercury (MeHg) and gaseous elemental Hg, respectively. We used Hg stable isotopes to assess the validity of these biomarkers among small-scale gold mining populations in Ghana and Indonesia. Urine from Ghanaian miners displayed similar Δ{sup 199}Hg values to Hg derived from ore deposits (mean urine Δ{sup 199}Hg=0.01‰, n=6). This suggests that urine total Hg concentrations accurately reflect exposure to inorganic Hg among this population. Hair samples from Ghanaian miners displayed low positive Δ{sup 199}Hg values (0.23–0.55‰, n=6) and low percentages of total Hg as MeHg (7.6–29%, n=7). These data suggest that the majority of the Hg in these miners' hair samples is exogenously adsorbed inorganic Hg and not fish-derived MeHg. Hair samples from Indonesian gold miners who eat fish daily displayed a wider range of positive Δ{sup 199}Hg values (0.21–1.32‰, n=5) and percentages of total Hg as MeHg (32–72%, n=4). This suggests that total Hg in the hair samples from Indonesian gold miners is likely a mixture of ingested fish MeHg and exogenously adsorbed inorganic Hg. Based on data from both populations, we suggest that total Hg concentrations in hair samples from small-scale gold miners likely overestimate exposure to MeHg from fish consumption. - Highlights: • Mercury isotopes were measured in hair and urine from small-scale gold miners. • Mercury isotopes indicate that Hg in urine comes from mining activity. • Mercury isotopes suggest Hg in hair is a mixture of fish MeHg and inorganic Hg. • A large percentage of Hg in miner’s hair is released during amalgam burning and adsorbed.

Analysis of mercury in simulated nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Policke, T.A.; Johnson, L.C.; Best, D.R.

1991-01-01

Mercury, Hg, is a non-radioactive component in the High Level Waste at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Thus, it is a component of the Defense Waste Processing Facility's (DWPF) process streams. It is present because mercuric nitrate (Hg(NO 3 ) 2 ) is used to dissolve spent fuel rods. Since mercury halides are extremely corrosive, especially at elevated temperatures such as those seen in a melter (1150 degrees C), its concentration throughout the process needs to be monitored so that it is at an acceptable level prior to reaching the melter off-gas system. The Hg can be found in condensates and sludge feeds and throughout the process and process lines, i.e., at any sampling point. The different samples types that require Hg determinations in the process streams are: (1) sludges, which may be basic or acidic and may or may not include aromatic organics, (2) slurries, which are sludges with frit and will always contain organics (formate and aromatics), and (3) condensates, from feed prep and melter off-gas locations. The condensates are aqueous and the mercury may exist as a complex mixture of halides, oxides, and metal, with levels between 10 and 100 ppm. The mercury in the sludges and slurries can be Hg 0 , Hg +1 , or Hg +2 , with levels between 200 and 3000 ppm, depending upon the location, both time and position, of sampling. For DWPF, both total and soluble Hg concentrations need to be determined. The text below describes how these determinations are being made by the Defense Waste Processing Technology (DWPT) Analytical Laboratory at the Savannah River Site. Both flame atomic absorption (FAA) and cold vapor atomic (CVAA) measurements are discussed. Also, the problems encountered in the steps toward measuring HG in these samples types of condensates and sludges are discussed along with their solutions

Mercury contamination from artisanal gold mining in Antioquia, Colombia: The world's highest per capita mercury pollution.

Science.gov (United States)

Cordy, Paul; Veiga, Marcello M; Salih, Ibrahim; Al-Saadi, Sari; Console, Stephanie; Garcia, Oseas; Mesa, Luis Alberto; Velásquez-López, Patricio C; Roeser, Monika

2011-12-01

The artisanal gold mining sector in Colombia has 200,000 miners officially producing 30tonnes Au/a. In the Northeast of the Department of Antioquia, there are 17 mining towns and between 15,000 and 30,000 artisanal gold miners. Guerrillas and paramilitary activities in the rural areas of Antioquia pushed miners to bring their gold ores to the towns to be processed in Processing Centers or entables. These Centers operate in the urban areas amalgamating the whole ore, i.e. without previous concentration, and later burn gold amalgam without any filtering/condensing system. Based on mercury mass balance in 15 entables, 50% of the mercury added to small ball mills (cocos) is lost: 46% with tailings and 4% when amalgam is burned. In just 5 cities of Antioquia, with a total of 150,000 inhabitants: Segovia, Remedios, Zaragoza, El Bagre, and Nechí, there are 323 entables producing 10-20tonnes Au/a. Considering the average levels of mercury consumption estimated by mass balance and interviews of entables owners, the mercury consumed (and lost) in these 5 municipalities must be around 93tonnes/a. Urban air mercury levels range from 300ng Hg/m(3) (background) to 1million ng Hg/m(3) (inside gold shops) with 10,000ng Hg/m(3) being common in residential areas. The WHO limit for public exposure is 1000ng/m(3). The total mercury release/emissions to the Colombian environment can be as high as 150tonnes/a giving this country the shameful first position as the world's largest mercury polluter per capita from artisanal gold mining. One necessary government intervention is to cut the supply of mercury to the entables. In 2009, eleven companies in Colombia legally imported 130tonnes of metallic mercury, much of it flowing to artisanal gold mines. Entables must be removed from urban centers and technical assistance is badly needed to improve their technology and reduce emissions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Elevated mercury concentrations in humans of Madre de Dios, Peru.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katy Ashe

Full Text Available The enormous increase in practically unregulated mining in Madre de Dios Peru is leading to massive release of liquid elemental mercury to the environment. Rapidly increasing global prices for gold are causing a massive upsurge in artisanal mining in the Peruvian Amazon, considered to be one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. This study identifies the current levels of mercury in the human population, through identifying levels of total mercury in human hair in mining zones of Madre de Dios Department and in the nearby city of Puerto Maldonado. A regression analysis reveals that fish consumption, gender, and location of residence were significant indicators of mercury levels; while duration of residence and age had no significant relationship to mercury levels. Increased fish consumption levels were the strongest indicators of increased total mercury levels across the entire population. The levels of total mercury in hair was significantly (α = 0.05 higher in mining zones, than Puerto Maldonado. In both areas men had significantly higher levels than women, likely due to a difference in metabolism or varying levels of direct involvement in gold mining- a male predominated industry. This is the first study to show the health threat that mercury poses to this region, however further research needs to be done to gain a more refined understanding of the predominant routes of exposure in this population.

Elevated mercury concentrations in humans of Madre de Dios, Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashe, Katy

2012-01-01

The enormous increase in practically unregulated mining in Madre de Dios Peru is leading to massive release of liquid elemental mercury to the environment. Rapidly increasing global prices for gold are causing a massive upsurge in artisanal mining in the Peruvian Amazon, considered to be one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. This study identifies the current levels of mercury in the human population, through identifying levels of total mercury in human hair in mining zones of Madre de Dios Department and in the nearby city of Puerto Maldonado. A regression analysis reveals that fish consumption, gender, and location of residence were significant indicators of mercury levels; while duration of residence and age had no significant relationship to mercury levels. Increased fish consumption levels were the strongest indicators of increased total mercury levels across the entire population. The levels of total mercury in hair was significantly (α = 0.05) higher in mining zones, than Puerto Maldonado. In both areas men had significantly higher levels than women, likely due to a difference in metabolism or varying levels of direct involvement in gold mining- a male predominated industry. This is the first study to show the health threat that mercury poses to this region, however further research needs to be done to gain a more refined understanding of the predominant routes of exposure in this population.

Mercury accumulation in native mammals of the Southeast

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cumbie, P.M.; Jenkins, J.H.

1974-01-01

Mercury levels in tissues of mammals collected in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina were compared using hair mercury concentration as an index of total mercury content. Bobcats (Lynx rufus), raccoons (Procyon lotor), opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) and gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) from the Lower Coastal Plain of Georgia had higher mercury levels than specimens from the Upper Coastal Plain or Piedmont. The highest individual mercury levels in raccoons and bobcats occurred in specimens from the Georgia Lower Coastal Plain flatwoods. Skeletal muscle and liver of individual raccoons and bobcats taken in the coastal flatwoods exceeded the 0.5 ppm limit for mercury in human foodstuffs. No pattern of mercury accumulation was detected in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Hair analysis revealed elevated mercury levels in mammals from a region exposed to mercury pollution. Mercury levels in wildlife exhibit a pattern similar to that of certain fallout radioisotopes such as /sub 137/Cs. These observations indicate that significant biomagnification of mercury may occur in native mammals in certain southeastern habitats. 28 references, 6 tables.

Assessment of mercury contamination in African sub-Saharan freshwater reservoirs (Burkina Faso)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ousseni, O.; Marc, A. [Montreal Univ., PQ (Canada)

2010-07-01

Despite an increase in artisanal gold mining with metallic mercury (Hg) amalgamation in Burkina Faso since 1990, there is no data on the potential impact of Hg contamination on aquatic systems. This presentation reported on a study that evaluated environmental mercury contamination by determining the total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in water and 350 muscle tissues of fish samples from 13 reservoirs in Burkina Faso. Mercury was analyzed by cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry technique using Tekran 2600 mercury analyzer (CV-AFS) after oxidization by BrCl and reduction by SnCl{sub 2}. The range of Hg concentration for THg and MeHg in water was presented along with the Fish THg level range. The study showed that most mercury was in the particulate form as a result of rainfall runoff. Most fish mercury concentrations were below the Health Canada guideline limit. However, the Hg level in one fish species (Bagrus bajad) was above the World Health Organization (WHO) international trade guideline limit. The study showed that in general, most fish species are not highly contaminated by Hg, with the exception of Bagrus bajad. It was concluded that future studies should consider consumption patterns of different subpopulations in order to evaluate risk and develop policy recommendations.

Modeling Mercury in Proteins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Jeremy C [ORNL; Parks, Jerry M [ORNL

2016-01-01

Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring element that is released into the biosphere both by natural processes and anthropogenic activities. Although its reduced, elemental form Hg(0) is relatively non-toxic, other forms such as Hg2+ and, in particular, its methylated form, methylmercury, are toxic, with deleterious effects on both ecosystems and humans. Microorganisms play important roles in the transformation of mercury in the environment. Inorganic Hg2+ can be methylated by certain bacteria and archaea to form methylmercury. Conversely, bacteria also demethylate methylmercury and reduce Hg2+ to relatively inert Hg(0). Transformations and toxicity occur as a result of mercury interacting with various proteins. Clearly, then, understanding the toxic effects of mercury and its cycling in the environment requires characterization of these interactions. Computational approaches are ideally suited to studies of mercury in proteins because they can provide a detailed picture and circumvent issues associated with toxicity. Here we describe computational methods for investigating and characterizing how mercury binds to proteins, how inter- and intra-protein transfer of mercury is orchestrated in biological systems, and how chemical reactions in proteins transform the metal. We describe quantum chemical analyses of aqueous Hg(II), which reveal critical factors that determine ligand binding propensities. We then provide a perspective on how we used chemical reasoning to discover how microorganisms methylate mercury. We also highlight our combined computational and experimental studies of the proteins and enzymes of the mer operon, a suite of genes that confers mercury resistance in many bacteria. Lastly, we place work on mercury in proteins in the context of what is needed for a comprehensive multi-scale model of environmental mercury cycling.

Atmospheric mercury distribution in Northern Europe and in the Mediterranean region

Science.gov (United States)

Wängberg, I.; Munthe, J.; Pirrone, N.; Iverfeldt, Å.; Bahlman, E.; Costa, P.; Ebinghaus, R.; Feng, X.; Ferrara, R.; Gårdfeldt, K.; Kock, H.; Lanzillotta, E.; Mamane, Y.; Mas, F.; Melamed, E.; Osnat, Y.; Prestbo, E.; Sommar, J.; Schmolke, S.; Spain, G.; Sprovieri, F.; Tuncel, G.

Mercury species in air have been measured at five sites in Northwest Europe and at five coastal sites in the Mediterranean region during measurements at four seasons. Observed concentrations of total gaseous mercury (TGM), total particulate mercury (TPM) and reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) were generally slightly higher in the Mediterranean region than in Northwest Europe. Incoming clean Atlantic air seems to be enriched in TGM in comparison to air in Scandinavia. Trajectory analysis of events where high concentrations of TPM simultaneously were observed at sites in North Europe indicate source areas in Central Europe and provide evidence of transport of mercury on particles on a regional scale.

Localized surface plasmon resonance mercury detection system and methods

Science.gov (United States)

James, Jay; Lucas, Donald; Crosby, Jeffrey Scott; Koshland, Catherine P.

2016-03-22

A mercury detection system that includes a flow cell having a mercury sensor, a light source and a light detector is provided. The mercury sensor includes a transparent substrate and a submonolayer of mercury absorbing nanoparticles, e.g., gold nanoparticles, on a surface of the substrate. Methods of determining whether mercury is present in a sample using the mercury sensors are also provided. The subject mercury detection systems and methods find use in a variety of different applications, including mercury detecting applications.

Mercury emission and dispersion models from soils contaminated by cinnabar mining and metallurgy.

Science.gov (United States)

Llanos, Willians; Kocman, David; Higueras, Pablo; Horvat, Milena

2011-12-01

The laboratory flux measurement system (LFMS) and dispersion models were used to investigate the kinetics of mercury emission flux (MEF) from contaminated soils. Representative soil samples with respect to total Hg concentration (26-9770 μg g(-1)) surrounding a decommissioned mercury-mining area (Las Cuevas Mine), and a former mercury smelter (Cerco Metalúrgico de Almadenejos), in the Almadén mercury mining district (South Central Spain), were collected. Altogether, 14 samples were analyzed to determine the variation in mercury emission flux (MEF) versus distance from the sources, regulating two major environmental parameters comprising soil temperature and solar radiation. In addition, the fraction of the water-soluble mercury in these samples was determined in order to assess how MEF from soil is related to the mercury in the aqueous soil phase. Measured MEFs ranged from less than 140 to over 10,000 ng m(-2) h(-1), with the highest emissions from contaminated soils adjacent to point sources. A significant decrease of MEF was then observed with increasing distance from these sites. Strong positive effects of both temperature and solar radiation on MEF was observed. Moreover, MEF was found to occur more easily in soils with higher proportions of soluble mercury compared to soils where cinnabar prevails. Based on the calculated Hg emission rates and with the support of geographical information system (GIS) tools and ISC AERMOD software, dispersion models for atmospheric mercury were implemented. In this way, the gaseous mercury plume generated by the soil-originated emissions at different seasons was modeled. Modeling efforts revealed that much higher emissions and larger mercury plumes are generated in dry and warm periods (summer), while the plume is smaller and associated with lower concentrations of atmospheric mercury during colder periods with higher wind activity (fall). Based on the calculated emissions and the model implementation, yearly emissions from

Risk assessment of mercury contaminated sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hempel, M.

1993-01-01

At two sites, highly contaminated with mercury, risk assessment was executed. Methods were developed to determine organomercury compounds in water, air and soil. Toxicity tests demonstrated the high toxicity of organomercury compounds compared to inorganic mercury. Besides highly toxic methylmercury, ethylmercury was found in soils close to a chemical plant in Marktredwitz. In ultrafiltration-experiments mercury showed great affinity to high molecular substances in water. Lysimeter-experiments proved, that organomercury compounds are adsorbed and transformed to inorganic and elemental mercury. (orig.) [de

Estimation of mercury amount in the components of spent U-type lamp.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhee, Seung-Whee

2017-05-01

Spent U-type lamps are strongly encouraged to be separately managed in Korea, because U-type lamps are categorized as a household waste and thereby could not be managed properly. Determination of mercury amount in the components of U-type lamp, such as plastics, glass tube and phosphor powder from 3 U-type lamp manufacturers (A, B and C), is carried out to estimate the mercury content in spent U-type lamps. Regardless of lamp manufacturers, the portion of mercury in phosphor powder was higher than 90%, but that in plastics and others was less than 1%. At an air flow rate of 1.0 L/min, the range of the initial mercury concentration in vapor phase for U-type lamp was between 849 and 2076 µg/m 3 from 3 companies. The estimated mercury amount in vapor phase of U-type lamp was in the range from 0.206 mg for company A to 0.593 mg for company B. And the portion of mercury in vapor phase in the total amount of mercury was estimated in the range from 3.0% for company A to 6.7% for company B. Hence, it is desirable to get rid of mercury from phosphor powder in order to perform U-type lamps recycling.

Toward A Neutral Mercury Optical Lattice Clock: Determination of the Magic Wavelength for the Ultraviolet clock Transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mejri, Sinda

2012-01-01

A lattice clock combines the advantages of ion and neutral atom based clocks, namely the recoil and first order Doppler free spectroscopy allowed by the Lamb-Dicke regime. This lattice light field shifts the energy levels of the clock transition. However a wavelength can be found where the light-shift of the clock states cancelled to first order. In this thesis, we present the latest advances in optical lattice clock with mercury atoms developed at LNE-SYRTE. After a review of the current performances of different optical clock are currently under development, we focus on the concept of optical lattice clock and the features of the mercury that make him an excellent candidate for the realization of an optical lattice clock achievement the uncertainty of the level of 10 -17 . The second part is devoted to the characterization of the mercury MOT, using a sensitive detection system, which allowed us to evaluate the temperature of different isotopes present in the MOT and have a good evidence of sub-Doppler cooling for the fermionic isotopes. The third part of this these, present the experimental aspects of the implementation and the development of the laser source required for trapping mercury atoms operating near the predicted magic wavelength. Finally, we report on the Lamb-Dicke spectroscopy of the 1S0 →3 P0 clock transition in the 199 Hg atoms confined in lattice trap. With use of the ultra-stable laser system, linked to LNE-SYRTE primary frequency reference, we have determined the center frequency of the transition for a range of lattice wavelengths and different lattice depths. Analyzing these measurement, we have carried out the first experimental determination of the magic wavelength, which is the crucial step towards achieving a highly accurate frequency standard using mercury. (author)

Experimental dosing of wetlands with coagulants removes mercury from surface water and decreases mercury bioaccumulation in fish.

Science.gov (United States)

Ackerman, Joshua T; Kraus, Tamara E C; Fleck, Jacob A; Krabbenhoft, David P; Horwath, William R; Bachand, Sandra M; Herzog, Mark P; Hartman, C Alex; Bachand, Philip A M

2015-05-19

Mercury pollution is widespread globally, and strategies for managing mercury contamination in aquatic environments are necessary. We tested whether coagulation with metal-based salts could remove mercury from wetland surface waters and decrease mercury bioaccumulation in fish. In a complete randomized block design, we constructed nine experimental wetlands in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, stocked them with mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), and then continuously applied agricultural drainage water that was either untreated (control), or treated with polyaluminum chloride or ferric sulfate coagulants. Total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in surface waters were decreased by 62% and 63% in polyaluminum chloride treated wetlands and 50% and 76% in ferric sulfate treated wetlands compared to control wetlands. Specifically, following coagulation, mercury was transferred from the filtered fraction of water into the particulate fraction of water which then settled within the wetland. Mosquitofish mercury concentrations were decreased by 35% in ferric sulfate treated wetlands compared to control wetlands. There was no reduction in mosquitofish mercury concentrations within the polyaluminum chloride treated wetlands, which may have been caused by production of bioavailable methylmercury within those wetlands. Coagulation may be an effective management strategy for reducing mercury contamination within wetlands, but further studies should explore potential effects on wetland ecosystems.

Experimental dosing of wetlands with coagulants removes mercury from surface water and decreases mercury bioaccumulation in fish

Science.gov (United States)

Ackerman, Joshua T.; Kraus, Tamara E.C.; Fleck, Jacob A.; Krabbenhoft, David P.; Horwarth, William R.; Bachand, Sandra M.; Herzog, Mark; Hartman, Christopher; Bachand, Philip A.M.

2015-01-01

Mercury pollution is widespread globally, and strategies for managing mercury contamination in aquatic environments are necessary. We tested whether coagulation with metal-based salts could remove mercury from wetland surface waters and decrease mercury bioaccumulation in fish. In a complete randomized block design, we constructed nine experimental wetlands in California’s Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, stocked them with mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), and then continuously applied agricultural drainage water that was either untreated (control), or treated with polyaluminum chloride or ferric sulfate coagulants. Total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in surface waters were decreased by 62% and 63% in polyaluminum chloride treated wetlands and 50% and 76% in ferric sulfate treated wetlands compared to control wetlands. Specifically, following coagulation, mercury was transferred from the filtered fraction of water into the particulate fraction of water which then settled within the wetland. Mosquitofish mercury concentrations were decreased by 35% in ferric sulfate treated wetlands compared to control wetlands. There was no reduction in mosquitofish mercury concentrations within the polyaluminum chloride treated wetlands, which may have been caused by production of bioavailable methylmercury within those wetlands. Coagulation may be an effective management strategy for reducing mercury contamination within wetlands, but further studies should explore potential effects on wetland ecosystems.

Mercury in canned tuna: white versus light and temporal variation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burger, Joanna; Gochfeld, Michael

2004-01-01

There are abundant data and advisories for mercury levels in wild fish, but far fewer for commercial fish that compose a large majority of the fish most people eat. Until recently, relatively little attention has been devoted to examining mercury in canned tuna, despite its great importance in human diets. There is substantial media coverage of the benefits and risk from fish consumption, but few peer-reviewed data on canned tuna, the most commonly consumed fish in the United States. In this paper, we examine the levels of total mercury in canned tuna obtained from a New Jersey grocery store from 1998 to 2003, looking for temporal consistency within this data set and particularly for comparison with the Food and Drug Administration's 1991 study. We analyzed 168 cans individually for total mercury. All values are reported as parts per million (=μg/g) on a wet weight basis. In a subset of samples analyzed for total and inorganic mercury, the inorganic mercury was below detection levels; hence at least 89% of the mercury can be considered methylmercury. We found that white-style tuna had significantly more total mercury (mean 0.407 ppm) than light-style tuna (mean 0.118 ppm), presumably reflecting that 'white' tuna is albacore, a species relatively larger than the skipjack tuna, which is commonly available as 'light' or 'chunk light'. The maximum mercury in a can was 0.997 ppm, but 25% of white tuna samples exceeded 0.5 ppm. Data suggest a slight increase in levels since 1991, and mercury levels were significantly higher in 2001 than in other years. The mean level of mercury in white tuna (mean 0.407 ppm) was significantly higher than the mean value of 0.17 ppm currently used by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in its risk assessment and public information. There were no significant differences in mercury levels in tuna packed in oil compared to water. Draining contents had no effect on mercury levels, and the fluid, both oil and water, contained little

Hair Mercury Concentrations and Fish Consumption Patterns in Florida Residents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam M. Schaefer

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Mercury exposure through the consumption of fish and shellfish represents a significant public health concern in the United States. Recent research has demonstrated higher seafood consumption and subsequent increased risk of methylmercury exposure among subpopulations living in coastal areas. The identification of high concentrations of total mercury in blood and skin among resident Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL, a coastal estuary in Florida, alerted us to a potential public health hazard in the contiguous human population. Therefore, we analyzed hair mercury concentrations of residents living along the IRL and ascertained their sources and patterns of seafood consumption. The total mean mercury concentration for 135 residents was 1.53 ± 1.89 µg/g. The concentration of hair mercury among males (2.02 ± 2.38 µg/g was significantly higher than that for females (0.96 ± 0.74 µg/g (p < 0.01. Log transformed hair mercury concentration was significantly associated with the frequency of total seafood consumption (p < 0.01. Individuals who reported consuming seafood once a day or more were 3.71 (95% CI 0.84–16.38 times more likely to have a total hair mercury concentration over 1.0 µg/g, which corresponds approximately to the U.S. EPA reference dose, compared to those who consumed seafood once a week or less. Hair mercury concentration was also significantly higher among individuals who obtained all or most of their seafood from local recreational sources (p < 0.01. The elevated human mercury concentrations mirror the elevated concentrations observed in resident dolphins in the same geographical region. The current study is one of the first to apply the concept of a sentinel animal to a contiguous human population.

[Characteristics of mercury pollution in soil and atmosphere in Songhua River upstream Jia-pi-gou gold mining area].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Gang; Wang, Ning; Wang, Yuan; Liu, Te; Ai, Jian-Chao

2012-09-01

In the studied area of Jia-pi-gou at the upstream area of Songhua River, algamation process has been applied as a dominant method to extract gold for more than one hundred and eighty years, resulting in severe mercury environmental pollution. The total mercury contents in the atmosphere and soil have been determined by mercury analyzer (Zeeman RA915+) and cold atomic absorption spectrophotometry (GB/T 17136-1997), respectively. To study the pollution characteristics of mercury in the soil and atmosphere, the mercury flux at the interface between the soil and the atmosphere of 4 sampling sites Lao-jin-chang, Er-dao-gou, Er-dao-cha and community of Jia-pi-gou have been determined with the method of dynamic flux chamber. Furthermore, linear regression analyses on the total mercury contents between soil and atmosphere have been carried out and the correlation coefficient of mercury exchange flux between soil and atmosphere and meteorological factors has been studied. The results are as follows: (1) The mean value of mercury content in the atmosphere is (71.08 +/- 38.22) ng x m(-3). (2) The mean value of mercury content in the soil is (0.913 1 +/- 0.040 8) mg x kg(-1); it shows remarkably positive correlation between the mercury contents in soil and in the atmosphere. (3) The mercury exchange flux between soil and atmosphere in different locations are Lao-jin-chang [(129.13 +/- 496.07) ng (m2 x h)(-1)], Er-dao-gou [(98.64 +/- 43.96) ng x (m2 x h)(-1)], Er-dao-cha [(23.17 +/- 171.23) ng x (m2 x h)(-1)], and community of Jia-pi-gou [(7.12 +/- 46.33) ng x (m2 x h)(-1)]. (4) Solar radiation is the major influential factor in the mercury exchange flux between the soil and atmosphere in Lao-jin-chang, Er-dao-cha and community of Jia-pi-gou. Solar radiation, air temperature and soil temperature jointly influence the process of the mercury exchange flux between the soil and atmosphere in Er-dao-gou. Under the disturbance of terrain, three noticeably distinctive trend features

Validation of methodology for determination of the mercury methylation potential in sediments using radiotracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zizek, Suzana; Horvat, Milena; Ribeiro Guevara, Sergio

2008-01-01

Experiments to determine the mercury methylation potential were performed on sediments from two locations on the river Idrijca (Slovenia), differing in ambient mercury concentrations. The tracer used was the radioactive isotope 197 Hg. The benefit of using this tracer is its high specific activity, which enables spikes as low as 0.02 ng Hg 2+ g -1 of sample to be used. It was therefore possible to compare the efficiency of the methylation potential experiments over a range of spike concentrations from picogram to microgram levels. The first part of the work aimed to validate the experimental blanks and the second part consisted of several series of incubation experiments on two different river sediments using a range of tracer additions. The results showed high variability in the obtained methylation potentials. Increasing Hg 2+ additions gave a decrease in the percentage of the tracer methylated during incubation; in absolute terms, the spikes that spanned four orders of magnitude (0.019-190 pg g -1 of sediment slurry) resulted in MeHg formation between 0.01 and 0.1 ng MeHg g -1 in Podroteja and Kozarska Grapa. Higher spikes resulted in slightly elevated MeHg production (up to a maximum of 0.27 ng g -1 ). The values of methylation potential were similar in both sediments. The results imply that the experimental determination of mercury methylation potential strongly depends on the experimental setup itself and the amount of tracer added to the system under study. It is therefore recommended to use different concentrations of tracer and perform the experiments in several replicates. The amount of mercury available for methylation in nature is usually very small. Therefore, adding very low amounts of tracer in the methylation potential studies probably gives results that have a higher environmental relevance. It is also suggested to express the results obtained in absolute amounts of MeHg produced and not just as the percentage of the added tracer. (orig.)

Validation of methodology for determination of the mercury methylation potential in sediments using radiotracers.