Hg determination; organic
mercury (thiomersal) can be directly transformed into
volatile Hg species without the need for prior oxidation.
Second, the vapor-generation efficiency is high; the efficiency
(with formic acid as a promoter) is superior to
that of conventional SnCl2-HCl reduction. Third, the
vapor generation is extremely rapid and therefore is easy
to couple with flow injection. The method is sensitive and
simple in operation, requires no auxiliary reagents, and
serves as a useful alternative to conventional vapor
generation for ultratrace Hg determination.