Complete analysis of multicomponent oxide minerals containing niobium and tantalum by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive method for determination of methyl mercuric chloride at a low concentration (5μg/l) has been developed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. An extracted benzene solution (200μl) was injected into the GC/MS system. Methyl mercuric chloride was trapped and concentrated on the inlet part of a glass column packed with 20% DEGS-Hg on Chromosorb W at 400C (a herium carrier gas flow rate: 60 ml/min). The benzene solvent was first desorbed by increasing the column temperature to 700C and holding that temperature for 1 min. Then the methyl mercuric chloride was desorbed by increasing the column temperature to 1600C at a rate of 300C/min. Quantitative and qualitative analysis was achieved by the selected ion monitoring set at m/z 202 (Hg) and m/z 252(CH3HgCl). The determination limit in the present method was 5 μg/l in the case of 200 μl injection. (author)