Degradation of polyethylene containing ferric salt and starch

The degradation of polyethylene containing four different ferric salts was compared, using remaining percentage elongation at break as a parameter; and the degradation process was also evaluated with carbonyl index, or with the formation and concentration of hydroperoxide groups. Starch can act as a synergist during the photodegradation of ferric contained PE film. X-ray photoelectroscopy analysis shows that part of ferric ions turned into ferrous ions during the degradation process because of the redox reaction of ferric ions with oxygen. When stabilizer was added, the changes from ferric ions to ferrous ions decreased. If the PE samples were exposed to high pressure mercury lamp in the atmosphere of nitrogen gas, the absorption peaks of carbonyl group was not found in IR spectra after several days exposure.     

A comparative study of radioactivation,atomic absorption and spectrophotometric techniques applied to the determination of mercury in lead

A fairly simple radiometric method has been developed for the quantitation of microgram amounts of mercury in lead samples of different purity grades. It is mainly based on 3 steps; (i) the removal of most interfering cations with ferric hydroxide scavenger in the presence of a suitable masking agent, (ii) the separation of mercury as hydrated mercuric oxide from a highly alkaline medium, (iii) its distillation as mercuric chloride followed by precipitation as the sulfide. The method is reproducible and the results which show, in general, a standard deviation of ±4.29% are compared with those obtained by atomic absorption (4.48%) and spectrophotometric (13.13%) techniques.     

Enhancement of the reducing properties of metallic mercury in presence of complex forming ions

The reducing properties of metallic mercury in solutions containing ions forming precipitates or complexes with mercuric or mercurous ions have been studied.The reducing power of mercury in the presence of thiocyanate is greatly enhanced, and it is similar to that in the presence of hydrochloric acid. The effects of the thiocyanate and ferric concentrations have been examined. To reduce a 0.01 M solution of ferric ion without forming a precipitate of mercurous thiocyanate, a concentration of thiocyanate of at least 0.05 M is required. The action of mercurythiocyanate system on some oxidising substances has been studied. The most important reaction is the reduction of ferric ions. The method has been applied to the determination of iron on macro and semimicroscale and good results have been obtained.The reducing power of metallic mercury in the presence of cyanide has also been examined. In general it acts as a strong reducer in alkaline medium. Atmospheric oxygen is reduced partially to water and hydrogen peroxide. Ferricyanide is reduced quantitatively to ferrocyanide. The action of metallic mercury in the presence of cyanide on other oxidising substances has also been examined.     

固体进样直接测定法测定铜精矿中汞

建立了固体进样直接测定法测定铜精矿中汞含量的方法。铜精矿样品在测汞仪的分解炉中经300℃干燥和750℃高温热分解后,汞被催化分解为汞原子,于850℃齐化成金汞齐。汞蒸气被氧气流带入单波长光学吸收池,在波长253.7 nm处测量汞的吸光度,采用标准曲线法计算汞量。方法的线性范围分别为0~1.00,0~100μg/mL,线性相关系数为0.9999,检出限分别为0.10,0.04 ng/g。5个汞含量不同的铜精矿样品测定结果的相对标准偏差为2.14%~4.35%(n=11),样品加标回收率为92.00%~104.02%。采用该方法分别对2个铜精矿样品和铜精矿国际标准物质进行测定,测定结果与标准分析方法测定值和标准物质标示值基本一致。该方法简便、快速、准确,可以作为标准方法推广使用。     

Annotation paper Interference by volatile nitrogen oxides in the determination of mercury by flow injection cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry

The determination of mercury by the title method with sodium tetrahydroborate as reducing agent can be interfered with by volatile nitrogen oxides which inhibit the reduction of mercury by scavenging the reducing agent. The nitrogen oxides are formed as reduction products of nitric acid during sample decomposition. The interference effect was encountered in the determination of mercury in sewage sludge digests, and the main symptom was poor reproducibility of the shape of the mercury peak. The area of the mercury peak is more resistant to the interference than the peak height. The nitrogen oxide interference did not cause any systematic error in the mercury determination when calibration was done by standard addition. The interference can be easily remedied by purging the sample with argon.     

电热蒸发-直接进样-冷原子吸收光谱法测定土壤以及沉积物中汞

采用传统分析仪器测定汞元素,需要对样品进行化学消解,存在操作繁杂、效率低以及易交叉污染等问题。故建立了电热蒸发-直接进样-HGA-100测汞仪测定土壤以及沉积物中汞的方法,无需对样品进行化学前处理,降低环境污染。通过优化HGA-100测汞仪参数条件,汞质量浓度在0~20ng以及20~200ng,相关系数优于0.998,准确称量样品0.05g(精确至0.000 1g),方法检出限为0.5μg/kg,相对标准偏差1.6%~4.6%,加标回收率在90.1%~100%。方法用于对土壤和沉积物标准物质测定,结果与标准值相符。方法高效、准确,可用于测定土壤以及沉积物中的汞。     

稻米及其植株器官、环境土壤中总汞的快速测定

为了快速获得稻米及其植株器官、环境土壤等系列相关样品中总汞的含量,运用直接测汞仪测量了稻米及其植株器官、环境土壤等系列相关样品中总汞含量,建立了一种快速检测稻米及其植株器官、环境土壤中总汞的方法.优化了仪器的各项参数,最佳仪器条件为裂解温度为650℃保持40 s,释放温度900℃;验证了液体或固体标准物质作外标曲线对样...     

固体样品进样技术中汞量定标方法的研究

在原子吸收光谱分析中,固体样品直接进样是目前的研究课题之一。本文主要报道作者在分析汞中所进行的固体直接进样技术工作和讨论。在我们研制成功的KT—81型塞曼效应测汞仪中,针对元素汞蒸气压高的特点,用饱和汞蒸气作为汞量标准,实现了固体样品,如土壤、污泥、毛发、煤、食品等汞含量的直接进样测定。汞蒸气一次制备后可长期使用。分析汞时,只要用标准气体任意校验一次就可测量。1～2分钟能分析一个样品,S<0.3ng。r<5%。此法用NBS标准物质验证过。     

微波消解-氢化物发生原子荧光法同时测定土壤中的砷汞

建立了微波消解-氢化物发生原子荧光法同时测定土壤中As、Hg的分析方法。用体积分数35%的王水作为消解溶剂,在设定的微波消解条件下,可以将土壤中的As、Hg提取完全,有效解决了消解液中剩余酸过多的问题。方法用体积分数5%的HCl作为反应介质,20 g/L NaBH4作为还原剂。通过测定国家标准参考物质和加标回收实验,对方法进行了验证。已用于土壤中As、Hg的测定。     

Polyaniline as a base material for preparation of a mercury standard for use in neutron activation analysis

Polyaniline sorbed with microgram quantity of mercury was prepared and its homogeneity and stability with respect to mercury was evaluated over a period of time. The volatilisation loss of mercury during and after neutron irradiation was studied. It was found that polyaniline was homogeneous and stable with respect to mercury. No loss of mercury from polyaniline was observed during and after neutron irradiation. Thus polyaniline sorbed with mercury can serve as a good standard for neutron activation analysis of mercury.     

Reporting of variations in the natural isotopic composition of mercury

High-precision measurements of natural variations in the stable isotopic composition of mercury show great promise as a new tracer of mercury sources and chemical transformations in the environment. We strongly suggest that all laboratories adopt a common means of data correction, standardization, and nomenclature in order to ensure that data from various laboratories can be easily evaluated and compared. We make suggestions for mass bias correction, reporting of mass-dependent and mass-independent isotope variations, and a standard protocol for reporting analytical uncertainties. We also present our measured values for isotope ratios in several mercury standard solutions.     

Determination of Mercury with a Miniature Sensor for Point-of-care Testing

In developing countries, subsistence gold mining entails mixing metallic mercury with crushed sediments to extract gold. In this approach, the gold−mercury amalgam is heated to evaporate mercury and obtain gold. Thus, the highly volatile mercury can be absorbed through inhalation, resulting in adverse health effects. Urinalysis can be used to detect mercury, which is excreted in urine and feces, and correlate exposure with toxic effects. The current gold standard analytical methods are based on fluorescence or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry methods, but are expensive, time consuming, and are not easily accessible in countries where testing is needed. In this work, we report on a miniature electrochemical sensor that can rapidly detect mercury in urine at levels well below the US Biological Exposure Index (BEI) limit of 50 ppb (μg/L). The sensor is based on a thin-film gold electrode and anodic stripping voltammetry electroanalytical approach. The sensor successfully detected mercury at trace levels in urine, with a limit of detection of ∼15 ppb Hg in the linear range of 20–80 ppb. With the low-cost disposable sensors and portable instrumentation, it is well suited for point-of-care applications.     

Mercury determination with ICP-MS: signal suppression by acids

When mercury is quantified by ICP-MS under routine conditions (external calibration) in reference materials, which require mineralization with nitric acid, the experimental concentrations are almost always unacceptably low in comparison to certified values. Sorption of mercury on the Teflon surfaces of the digestion vessels, changes in the viscosity of the aspirated solutions, in the efficiency of the nebulization, in the aerosol transport, and memory effects cannot be responsible for the low results. The intensity of a mercury signal is strongly dependent on the concentration of nitric acid (and other mineral acids) in the measured solutions. Correct results for mercury in the SRM GBW-90101 (Chinese human hair; 2.16+/-0.21 mg Hg/kg certified) can only be obtained, when the solutions, with which the external calibration curves were established, have exactly the same nitric acid concentration as the aspirated digests (2.03+/-0.01 mg Hg/kg; n = 5), when mercury is determined by the standard addition method (2.10+/-0.01 mg Hg/kg; n = 5), or when the experimental mercury concentration obtained at a nitric acid concentration in the digest, different from the concentration in the external calibration solutions, is corrected mathematically based on a pre-established function [Hg2+] = f [HNO3]. The concentrations found by this mathematically based correction 2.04+/-0.01 mg Hg/kg (n = 5) is in good agreement with the values obtained by acid matched calibration or by the standard addition method. For practical work with large numbers of samples the mathematical correction appears to be the method of choice. For occasional mercury determinations, the standard addition method seems to be the most practicable.     

Enhancement effect of iron addition for the decomposition of organic mercury as studied by continuous flow analysis with cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometric detection

Summary A continuous flow analysis is described for the determination of total mercury by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. Organic mercury compounds such as methylmercury(II) chloride, ethylmercury(II) chloride and phenylmercury(II) chloride were decomposed by potassium peroxodisulphate with addition of ferric chloride as catalytic reagent. The reducing reagent used was tin(II) chloride in sodium hydroxide solution. With 1,000 mg Fe/l added in the decomposition process, we found that methylmercury(II) chloride and ethylmercury(II) chloride gave response signals similar to those of mercury(II) chloride. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of total mercury in waste water. Permanent address: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Andalas University, Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia     

A rapid and mercury pollution-free redoximetry determination of total iron in copper ore

A rapid and mercury pollution-free method for the determination of total iron in the presence of copper is described. The sample was decomposed either by an acid attack of hydrochloric acid-nitric acid (1 + 2) or by fusion with sodium peroxide. The ferric ion in the sample solution was amenable to direct reduction to ferrous ion with potassium borohydride in sulphuric acid medium under the catalysis of cupric ion, followed by titration with potassium dichromate using sodium diphenylaminesulfonate as an indicator. After reduction, the iron (II) in the solution was stable for 300 min. The proposed method is free of interference from copper and has been successfully used for the large-scale routine determination of total iron in copper ores showing the same or better degree of precision and accuracy as those obtained by the classic standard stannous chloride-mercuric chloride method with the separation of iron from copper.     

Compositional analysis of American southwestern ceramics by neutron activation analysis

Mercury, a known neurotoxin, has been implicated in the etiology and pathogenesis of such disease states as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. There is concern that the exposure to mercury vapor released from dental amalgam restorations is a potential health hazard. Measurement of mercury concentrations in blood or urine may be useful in diagnosis of mercury poisoning and in assessing the extent of exposure. This study describes the optimization of pre-neutron activation analysis procedures such as sampling, selection of irradiation and counting vials and acid digestion in order to minimize mercury loss via volatilization and/or permeation through containers. Therefore, the determination of mercury can be complicated by these potential losses. In the optimized procedure 20 mL of urine was spiked with three different concentrations of mercury, digested with concentrated nitric acid, and placed in polypropylene vials for irradiation and counting. Analysis was performed by subtracting the Se-75 photopeak contribution to the 279 keV Hg-203 photopeak and applying the method of standard additions. Urinary mercury concentrations in normal human subjects were determined to be of the order of 10 ng/mL.     

合并通道–原子荧光光谱法测定地表水中汞

建立合并通道–原子荧光光谱法测定地表水中超痕量汞的分析方法。采用微孔滤膜过滤、盐酸酸化处理地表水,以合并通道技术提高原子化效率,研究了合并通道对灵敏度以及检出限的影响。在优化的实验条件下,汞含量在0~2μg/L范围内与原子荧光响应值呈良好的线性关系,相关系数为0.999 1,检出限为0.000 3μg/L,测定结果的相对标准偏差小于5%(n=7),加标回收率在82.0%~110.0%之间。该法准确可靠,检出限低,可用于地表水中超痕量汞的检测。     

Simultaneous determination of copper,mercury and antimony in biological samples by neutron activation and substoichiometric extraction

A simple and accurate method has been developed for the determination of copper, mercury and antimony by thermal neutron activation analysis involving substoichiometric extraction technique. The results of analysis indicate that copper, mercury and antimony in biological samples can be determined with an accuracy of 5.3%, 5.5% and 6.2%, respectively. Two samples and a standard can be analysed by the proposed method in about 4 hrs. Part of this work was presented at the International Conference on Modern Trends in Activation Analysis, Saclay, Paris, France, October 2–6, 1972.     

Studies in ferrimetry

Summary We have found that ferric alum oxidises hydroxylamine quantitatively and rapidly to nitrous oxide, even at the room temperature, if 1 ml of 5% copper sulphate is used as catalyst per 50 ml of reaction mixture. The resultant ferrous salt can be determined by titration with a standard solution of sodium vanadate.     

Re‐evaluation of distillation and comparison with HNO3 leaching/solvent extraction for isolation of methylmercury compounds from sediment/soil samples

Distillation was re‐evaluated for the formation of artifacts arising from increasing naturally occurring mercury(II) concentrations, as opposed to previous identification of artifacts by spiking standard mercury(II) into samples. Naturally occurring mercury(II) concentrations lower than 2 µg g^?1 were found not to affect methylmercury (MeHg) results. However, when the natural concentrations of mercury(II) were greater than 2 µg g^?1, in contrast to standard mercury(II) spiked in samples, the MeHg concentrations measured were found to decrease (not increase) with increasing naturally occurring mercury(II) concentrations. This indicated that standard mercury(II) spiked in samples behaved differently from naturally occurring mercury(II) in the formation of MeHg artifacts during distillation. As a result, spiking standard mercury(II) into samples to identify the formation of MeHg artifacts is not adequate. It is difficult to explain why high naturally occurring mercury(II) suppresses MeHg measurements during distillation. In comparison with HNO₃ leaching/solvent extraction (and other existing techniques), distillation was found to generate results comparable for samples containing less than 2 µg g^?1 mercury(II). The HNO₃ leaching/solvent extraction showed significant advantages over other procedures, as this technique generated the highest recoveries with good precision for all samples analyzed, and the results were found to be independent of mercury(II) concentrations for both naturally occurring and spiked standard mercury(II). Thus, except for samples from high mercury‐contaminated fields, distillation is still a good choice. Both the positive bias (possibly caused by artifact formation of MeHg) and the negative bias (due to incomplete leaching, back‐adsorption, and/or decomposition of MeHg) were investigated. Geologically, physically, and chemically different samples were used for the investigation. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.