Determining Mercury in Blood Using FIMS
Author Information
Author(s): Tiezheng Guo, J6rn Baasner
Primary Institution: Bodenseewerk Perkin-Elmer GmbH
Hypothesis
The FIMS method can accurately determine total mercury content in blood with minimal sample preparation.
Conclusion
The flow injection technique accurately determines total mercury content in blood with minimal sample preparation.
Supporting Evidence
- The method achieved a recovery of 100 ± 2% for all organic mercury species tested.
- On-line digestion was superior to off-line methods in terms of sample throughput and measurement time.
- The detection limit was found to be 0.1 µg/l Hg in blood.
Takeaway
This study shows a way to measure mercury in blood easily and quickly, using special equipment that does most of the work automatically.
Methodology
The study used a Perkin-Elmer Flow Injection Mercury System (FIMS) with on-line digestion of blood samples.
Potential Biases
Care was taken to minimize non-specific absorption from hydride forming elements like arsenic and bismuth.
Limitations
The sensitivity of the mercury measurements was slightly reduced by the use of a second gas-liquid separator.
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