Procedure
Microwave Digestion
Varying aliquots of each sample (generally between 0.2 and 0.6 g, depending on the moisture content of the sample) were weighed to the nearest 0.01 g into the digestion vessels. Wet oxidation was induced using concentrated, ultra-high purity nitric acid (10 mL, from Romil LTD, Cambridge, UK) with the addition of a 0.2 mL of concentrated hydrochloric acid (Romil LTD, Cambridge, UK). Oxidation was carried out in heavy-duty vessels (HDV) using a high-pressure microwave digestion oven (Mars 5 from CEM). Temperature control was used as opposed to pressure control. Samples were ramped to 180 °C over 20 minutes and held at 180 °C for 10 minutes before cooling to below 50 °C before venting the vessel. Both pressure and temperature were monitored by direct measurement throughout the digestion to ensure that samples attained the critical temperature of 180 °C, at which food com- ponents, such as fat, are digested. The sample digests were then made up to 100 g using ultra- high purity water (18 mega ohms, from Elga Maxima). The resultant solution was used for determination.
Operating and Acquisition Parameters
Ten milliliter portions of the sample digests were accurately pipetted into sample tubes, and using a micropipette, 20 µL of a 1000-ppm gold chloride solution (Romil LTD, Cambridge, UK) was added. This gives a final gold concentration of 5 ppm in solution. Fifty milliliters each, of blank and four standard solutions covering the range, were pre- pared from a 100 µg/g stock mercury solution (from SPEX CertiPrep Assurance, Metuchen, New Jersey, USA). Ten percent wt/wt nitric acid con- taining 5 ppm of gold was used as the wash solu- tion for the autosampler and nebulizer. Gold is thought to have its effect by acting as an oxidizing agent ensuring that mercury stays in an ionized form in solution. Gold was added at elevated levels to ensure that any residual amounts of organic compounds in the digests would not reduce Au(III) to elemental gold and render it ineffective. A 250-ppb Thalium standard was added online as an internal standard (ISTD), using the ISIS system. There was an online dilution factor of 1:20. Gold chloride was also added to the standard solutions at 5 ppm.
Instrument Conditions Plasma gas flow rate 16 L/min Carrier gas flow rate 0.85 L/min Make-up flow 0.14 L/min RF Power 1400 Watts Nebulizer Agilent micro-flow 100 µL Spray chamber Glass double pass Spray chamber temperature Cooled to 2 °C ICP Torch injector 2.4 mm Sample tubing 0.89 mm id Internal standard tubing 0.19 mm id Instrument Peri pump 0.1 rps Sample/Skimmer cones Nickel Rotary pumps 2 Autosampler AX500
Acquisition Parameters
Mass Element Integration/Point Time (s)/Mass 199–201 Hg 3.5 10.5 202 Hg 3.5 10.5 205 Tl 0.05 0.15 Number of points per mass: 3 Acquisition time: 43.79 s Number of repetitions: 3 Total acquisition time: 131 s
Peristaltic Pump Program
Memory effects arise when the analyte signal is enhanced due to contributions from previous high concentration sample. This is due to adsorption/desorption of mercury in the sample introduction system. As a result, the analyst has to program long washout times. With the use of ISIS this wash-out time can be reduced.
ISIS Peristaltic Pump Program Analysis Speed : 0.10 rps
Before acquisition Uptake speed 0.80 rps Uptake time 32 s Stabilization time (undiluted) 150 s After acquisition (probe rinse) Rinse speed 0.80 rps Rinse time (sample) 8 s Rinse time (standard) 8 s After acquisition (rinse) Rinse vial 1 Uptake speed 0.8 rps Uptake time (undiluted) 32 s Stabilization time 85 s