Abstract
The behavior of mercury vapor during irradiation by a mercury lamp is investigated. Using the flameless atomic absorption technique for mercury determination, it was found that when mercury vapor in an inert gas is irradiated by a mercury lamp, the atomic absorption signal of mercury is decreased rapidly and the signal may be restored by heating to 70°C. These phenomena indicate that the irradiation products of mercury vapor in the quartz tube are deposited on the tube, and are dissociated into the mono-atomic state of mercury upon heating.