Total mercury analysis alone cannot provide an adequate representation of the mercury chemistry present in a test sample. As demonstrated in a study published in Science, knowing the distribution of different mercury species can create clearer data relationships and enable more accurate conclusions. For this reason, all current research recommends mercury speciation rather than total mercury analysis. Quicksilver mercury speciation provides much more insightful data and has the following key advantages over total mercury analysis
Quicksilver mercury speciation analysis measures the biologically active forms of mercury with a single test procedure.
Mercury speciation provides clear data on the distribution (proportion) of methyl mercury to inorganic mercury and total mercury present in a test sample.
Mercury speciation analysis can also predict the mobility and toxicity of mercury within the food chain of a specific ecosystem.