Application of a wool column for flow injection online preconcentration of inorganic mercury(II) and methyl mercury species prior to atomic fluorescence measurement

The use of an unmodified native sheep wool packed minicolumn for the online preconcentration of Hg(II) and methyl mercury species prior to the determination of mercury by atomic fluorescence spectrometry was investigated. Experimental conditions, such as pH, desorbing agents, volume of solution were optimized. 0.5 M thioglycolic acid was found to be a successful eluting agent for both mercury species. Breakthrough and total capacities were determined. The method is simple and rapidly applicable for the determination of Hg(II) and methyl mercury in tap water. The accuracy of the method was examined by the analysis of a peach leaves standard reference material. Recoveries of spiked mercury species in tap water were 105.8% for Hg(II) and 98.8% for methyl mercury.