ac504545w_si_001.pdf (3.26 MB)
Development of a Particle-Trap Preconcentration-Soft Ionization Mass Spectrometric Technique for the Quantification of Mercury Halides in Air
journal contribution
posted on 2015-05-19, 00:00 authored by Daniel
A. Deeds, Avik Ghoshdastidar, Farhad Raofie, Élise-Andrée Guérette, Alain Tessier, Parisa A. AriyaMeasurement
of oxidized mercury, Hg(II), in the atmosphere poses
a significant analytical challenge as Hg(II) is present at ultra-trace
concentrations (picograms per cubic meter air). Current technologies
are sufficiently sensitive to measure the total Hg present as Hg(II)
but cannot determine the chemical speciation of Hg(II). We detail
here the development of a soft ionization mass spectrometric technique
coupled with preconcentration onto nano- or microparticle-based traps
prior to analysis for the measurement of mercury halides in air. The
current methodology has comparable detection limits (4–11 pg
m–3) to previously developed techniques for the
measurement of total inorganic mercury in air while allowing for the
identification of HgX2 in collected samples. Both mercury
chloride and mercury bromide have been sporadically detected in Montreal
urban and indoor air using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass
spectrometry (APCI-MS). We discuss limitations and advantages of the
current technique and discuss potential avenues for future research
including quantitative trace measurements of a larger range of mercury
compounds.