Direct determination of mercury at the sub-picogram per gram level in polar snow and ice by ICP-SFMS

Planchon, F.A.M.; Gabrielli, P.; Gauchard, P.A.; Dommergue, A.; Barbante, C.; Cairns, W.R.L.; Cozzi, G.; Nagorski, S.A.; Ferrari, C.P.; Boutron, C.F.; Capodaglio, G.; Cescon, P.; Varga, A.; Wolff, E.W.. 2004 Direct determination of mercury at the sub-picogram per gram level in polar snow and ice by ICP-SFMS. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectroscopy, 19 (7). 823-830. 10.1039/b402711f

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Abstract/Summary

An analytical method for the direct determination of mercury (Hg) in polar snow and ice cores and surface snow based on inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS) has been developed. Various Hg isotopes, such as Hg-199, Hg-200, Hg-201 and Hg-202, appear to be free of polyatomic interferences in such matrices and allow the measurements to be made in low resolution mode, leading to high sensitivity. Ultra-low concentration Hg standards (from 1.5 to 20 pg g(-1)) were used for the calibration of the Thermo Finnigan MAT Element2, and a detection limit as low as 0.18 pg g(-1) was achieved using Hg-202. Ultra-clean procedures used from field sampling to final laboratory analysis show no significant blank contributions and appear suitable for the reliable determination of Hg at ultra-low concentrations. Precision of the Hg measurements was estimated to be 15% in terms of relative standard deviation on five replicates and accuracy was checked with an analytical reference material (102% recovery). Hg concentrations in surface snow samples from the Northern Hemisphere collected in the Canadian Arctic and in Svalbard (Norway) show high variability (1.2-32.0 pg g-(1)). In Antarctica, Hg was determined in different ice core sections from Dome C, spanning the last 18000 years BP (range from 0.7 to 3.2 pg g(-1)), and in snow samples from Coats Land covering the last 150 years (range from 0.2 to 16.1 pg g(-1)).

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1039/b402711f
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Antarctic Science in the Global Context (2000-2005) > Signals in Antarctica of Past Global Changes
ISSN:	0267-9477
NORA Subject Terms:	Glaciology Chemistry Atmospheric Sciences
Date made live:	24 Jan 2012 08:42 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/12344

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1039/b402711f

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > Antarctic Science in the Global Context (2000-2005) > Signals in Antarctica of Past Global Changes

ISSN:

0267-9477

NORA Subject Terms:

Glaciology
Chemistry
Atmospheric Sciences

Date made live:

24 Jan 2012 08:42 +0 (UTC)