Rapid mercury analysis for the field
Description
A method for rapidly determining mercury concentra- tions in environmental samples has been developed and tested at the General Electric Co. (GE, Schenectady, NY). The analysis uses anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) to determine mercury concentrations in solution. Mercury is transferred to solution from environmental samples by extraction with an aqueous mixture of potassium io- dide and iodine. Analysis requires less than 10 min for a 1-ppm detection limit, and extraction takes less than 30 min per sample. The reproducibility of the electrode surface is enhanced by using an iodine atomically modified electrode. The method can be made fieldable and requires no corrosive acids. The method is also independent of the type of contaminated media and the species of mercury.
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