An Easy Method to Measure Total Particulate Hg in Water Without Chemical Digestion |
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| Authors: | Sarica José Amyot Marc Hare Landis |
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| Institution: | 1. Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Eau, Terre et Environnement, Université du Québec, 2800 Rue Einstein, C.P. 7500, Sainte-Foy, QC, G1V 4C7, Canada
2. Département des Sciences Biologiques, D-223 Pavillon Marie-Victorin, Université de Montréal, 90 Vincent D'Indy, Montréal, QC, H2V 2S9, Canada
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| Abstract: | Particle transport often plays an important role in trace metal cycling in aquatic systems. In this study, we propose a simple method to estimate total particulate Hg in water using combustion as a treatment prior to analysis as opposed to conventional chemical digestion. We also present a field validation of this method in a stream. We sampled water from a stream 24 and 48 h after a heavy storm to obtain two sets of water samples with contrasting particulate Hg levels. Measurements of particulate and dissolved Hg using our new direct combustion method compared favorably with those of total Hg in unfiltered samples (112 ± 15 %). U.S. E.P.A. standard method 1631 gave similar dissolved Hg levels but different particulate Hg levels (calculated as the difference between total and dissolved Hg concentrations) than those obtained with our new method. We suggest that this discrepancy is explained by the propagation of errors resulting from the several calculation steps used in the standard method. Our new method gives reliable results, without labor intensive and costly chemical digestion and analysis of filters. |
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