| Abstract Title: | Sorbent Trap Method for Simple Low-Level Hg Measurements in Water |
| Presenter Name: | Anthony Schneider |
| Company/Institution: | Ohio Lumex |
| Session: | Mercury in Freshwater Ecosystems |
| Co-Authors: | Anthony Schneider |
Abstract Information :
Analyzing mercury in various forms of water is typically performed by oxidation followed by cold vapor atomic spectrometry as outlined in EPA Methods 245.1, 245.7, and 1631 Revision E. These methods require significant sample preparation utilizing several hazardous chemicals such as bromochloride, hydroxylamine hydrochloride, and stannous chloride which can contain background mercury. The traditional cold-vapor atomic fluorescence system is relatively complex and requires gold traps and argon gas. Ohio Lumex has developed a simpler and greener method using a sorbent trap to concentrate mercury from up to a liter of sample water using minimal reagents. The resulting sorbent trap sample is analyzed directly using thermal desorption atomic absorption spectrometry via the Lumex 915M with M-324 attachment which can be taken to the field to generate same-day results. The method sensitivity depends on the volume of sample pulled through the trap and can reach sub-PPT detection limits. The methodology, results, and QA/QC will be discussed.
