A new method has been developed for the determination of chlorine in biological reference materials using highresolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS GF MAS) of the strontium mono-chloride (SrCl) molecule and direct solid sample analysis. The use of the SrCl molecule for high-temperature MAS was not described up to now in the literature. Preliminary time-dependent density functional theory calculations of the SrCl structure were carried out in order to obtain reasonable estimates of the absorption spectrum of the target molecule. The calculations, which were carried out at BHandHLyp/def2-QZVP level of theory, proved a very accurate and inexpensive way to get information about the spectrum of the SrCl molecule, which enabled us to perform the Cl determination with good sensitivity and specificity. The molecular absorption of the SrCl molecule has been measured using the wavelength at 635.862 nm, and zirconium and palladium have been evaluated as the chemical modifiers in order to increase the sensitivity of the gaseous SrCl molecule generated in the graphite furnace. The pyrolysis and vaporization temperatures were 600°C and 2300°C, respectively. Accuracy and precision of the method have been evaluated using biological certified reference materials of both animal and plant origins, showing good agreement with the informed and certified values. Limit of detection and characteristic mass were 1.0 and 2.2 ng, respectively. The results found using HR-CS GF MAS were in agreement (95% confidence level) compared to those obtained by electrothermal vaporization-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
This paper reports, for the first time, the development of an analytical method employing modified matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) for the extraction of CH3Hg(+) and Hg(2+) species from fish samples. Separation and determination of mercury species were performed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Important MSPD parameters, such as sample mass, type and mass of solid support, concentration of extraction solution (HCl and NaCl), and stirring time, were investigated by the response surface methodology. The derivatization step and the separation of mercury species were also evaluated for the determination by GC/MS. Quantitative recoveries were obtained with 0.2 g of fish sample, 0.5 g of SiO2 as the solid support, 0.5 mol L(-1) NaCl and 4.2 mol L(-1) HCl as the extraction solution, and 1 min stirring time. The MSPD method showed to be suitable for the extraction and determination of mercury species in certified reference materials of dogfish liver (DOLT-3) and dogfish muscle (DORM-2). It had good agreement (about 99%) with the certified values, and the relative standard deviation was lower than 9.5%. The limits of detection were 0.06 and 0.12 μg g(-1), for CH3Hg(+) and Hg(2+), respectively. A matrix effect was observed, and the quantification was carried out by the matrix-matched calibration. The method was applied to tuna fish ( Thunnus thynnus ), angel shark ( Squatina squatina ), and guitarfish ( Rhinobatos percellens ) samples. The results of the mercury speciation by MPSD and GC/MS were compared to the total mercury concentration determined by flow injection cold vapor generation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, after microwave-assisted digestion. Agreement ranged from 102% to 105%.
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