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ABSTRACT
A rugged, sensitive, semi-automated method for the determination of trace-level mercury in small rat brain tissue samples by cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CVAFS) is described. Small tissue aliquots (100 mg) are digested for 6–8 h at an elevated temperature in a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids. Following digestion, samples are oxidized with potassium bromate/bromide at room temperature and treated with a continuous flow of stannous chloride to generate mercury vapor. The experimentally determined method quantitation limit (MQL) in the rat brain matrix is 10 pg Hg/mL, which corresponds to 1.5 ng Hg/g brain tissue. Replicate matrix spike preparations (n = 4) at this level were determined with a high level of accuracy (89.8%) and precision (6.9% RSD). Replicates (n = 36) of a certified reference material (DOLT-2, trace metals in dogfish liver) were prepared and analyzed over a four year period in order to assess the ruggedness and accuracy of the method. The average recovery for mercury in this material was 99.9% of the certified level.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This project was funded in whole by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institute of Health, Contract Numbers: N01-ES-55386 and N01-ES-05455.