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Speciation of Mercury in Microalgae by Isotope Dilution-inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry |
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| Authors: | Beibei Song Huijun He Lufeng Chen Shifeng Yang Yin Yongguang |
| Institution: | 1. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China;2. Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China;3. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China;4. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China |
| Abstract: | Species-specific stable isotope dilution in combination with gold trap- or gas chromatography (GC)-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is reported for the determination of inorganic mercury and methylmercury in diatoms (Chaetoceros curvisetus). The optimum conditions for the separation parameters were established. The isotope dilution analysis was performed using 199Hg-enriched Hg2+ and laboratory-synthesized 201Hg-enriched methylmercury. The absolute detection limits obtained with isotope dilution-ICP-MS were 9 pg for total mercury and 0.6 pg for methylmercury. The relative error of 7 Hg isotopic abundances based on the peak area measurements was better than 2.0% for 20 pg of methylmercury (as Hg) and 250 pg of inorganic mercury. The accuracy of the method was validated with a biological certified reference material. The developed method was then applied to investigate the uptake of inorganic mercury and methylmercury by C. curvisetus. Continuous uptake of inorganic mercury and methylmercury was observed during 5 days of incubation. |
| Keywords: | Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry mercury species microalgae cells species-specific stable isotope dilution |