Development of an easy portable procedure for on-site determination of mercury and methylmercury

Agnese Giacomino; Andrea Ruo Redda; Rocco Caligiuri; Paolo Inaudi; Stefania Squadrone; Maria Cesarina Abete; Ornella Abollino; Sara Morandi; Eleonora Conca; Mery Malandrino

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128347

Development of an easy portable procedure for on-site determination of mercury and methylmercury

Food Chem. 2021 Apr 16:342:128347. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128347. Epub 2020 Oct 12.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Turin, Italy. Electronic address: agnese.giacomino@unito.it.
² Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Turin, Italy. Electronic address: ruoreddaandrea@tiscali.it.
³ Department of Chemistry, University of Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 5, 10125 Torino, Italy.
⁴ Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Turin, Italy. Electronic address: paolo.inaudi@unito.it.
⁵ Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta (IZSPLV), 10100 Torino, Italy. Electronic address: stefania.squadrone@izsto.it.
⁶ Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta (IZSPLV), 10100 Torino, Italy. Electronic address: mariacesarina.abete@izsto.it.
⁷ Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Turin, Italy. Electronic address: ornella.abollino@unito.it.
⁸ Department of Chemistry, University of Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 5, 10125 Torino, Italy. Electronic address: sara.morandi@unito.it.
⁹ Department of Chemistry, University of Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 5, 10125 Torino, Italy. Electronic address: eleonora.conca@unito.it.
¹⁰ Department of Chemistry, University of Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 5, 10125 Torino, Italy. Electronic address: mery.malandrino@unito.it.

PMID: 33071191
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128347

Abstract

A portable measurement and speciation procedure for inorganic mercury (Hg_IN) and methylmercury (CH₃Hg) was developed. A portable sample pretreatment was optimized to determine total mercury content. A new home-made sorbent (CYXAD, CHYPOS 101 modified Amberlite XAD), was prepared to separate Hg_IN and CH₃Hg. Mercury species were determined using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SW-ASV) with a solid gold electrode (SGE) and using a portable potentiostat. A certified reference material, five freeze-dried samples and three fresh samples were analysed with conventional voltammetric analyzer, after dissolution of the samples in microwave oven, and with a portable potentiostat after the mild eating procedure. The results obtained by SW-ASV were compared with those obtained using Direct Mercury Analyser (DMA). The quantification with the portable method is comparable to that obtained with the DMA. Retention tests showed the selectivity of CYXAD for Hg_IN, its stability and the possibility to re-use the same aliquot of resin.

Keywords: Anodic Stripping Voltammetry; Mercury speciation; Methylmercury; On-site analysis.

MeSH terms

Electrochemistry / instrumentation*
Electrodes
Gold / chemistry
Mercury / analysis*
Methylmercury Compounds / analysis*

Substances

Methylmercury Compounds
Gold
Mercury