HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Floyd, M. Articles by Sommers, L. E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Floyd, M. Articles by Sommers, L. E. Agricola Articles by Floyd, M. Articles by Sommers, L. E.

Determination of Total Mercury in Soils and Sediments¹

ABSTRACT

A simple one-step digestion procedure was evaluated for extracting total mercury from soils and sediments. The procedure evaluated involves digesting soil or sediment samples with concentrated HNO₃ and 4N K₂Cr₂O₇ (2:1, vol/vol) for 4 hours at 55C and analyzing mercury in the extract by flameless atomic absorption. Recovery of total mercury from diverse samples was comparable to or exceeded that obtained by four alternative total mercury procedures. Essentially quantitative recovery of mercury was obtained when samples were amended with mercuric chloride, methylmercuric chloride, phenylmercuric acetate, and mercuric sulfide. The procedure developed was precise with coefficients of variation ranging from 1 to 3%. Parameters affecting the quantitative extraction of total mercury were studied.

Key Words: pollution • methylmercury • organomercury compounds • mercuric sulfide

¹ Contribution from the Agricultural Experiment Station, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907. Journal Paper No. 5684. Research was supported in part by the Department of Interior, Office of Water Research and Technology, through the Purdue University Water Resources Center (Project A-023-IND).

² Graduate Assistant and Associate Professor of Agronomy, respectively.

Received for publication October 15, 1974.