DETERMINATION OF ALKYLMERCURY COMPOUNDS AND PHENYLMERCURY IN WATER AND SEDIMENTS BY G.C.EMPLOYING MOCIFIED WESTOO METHOD

Abstract

Method previously employed by Westoo for the determination of alkylmercury compounds was producing very wide picks during G.C. analyses. Changing the column temperature, carrier gas flow and pressure did not supersede the problem. Therefore change in packing materials was experienced. 5% DC-200 on Gas-Chrom did not work. A packing material used for chlorinated hydrocarbons W, 80-100 mesh. As the result, the modified method showed very high sensitivities in determining alkyimercury compounds and phenylmercury in less than 4 minutes, employing simplest extraction and cleanup procedures, while indicating gook percentages of recoveries. This method was completed in 1974 during a research about biotransformation of mercury in sediments.