Three environmentally and agrochemicaly important mercury species: methylmercury, phenylmercury and mercury(II) are separated within 4 minutes as bromocomplexes by micellar liquid chromatography using very short reversed-phase (RP) C18 columns (up to 30 mm). The micellar mobile phase containig 0.05M cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMA+Br), 1% (v/v) 2-propanol, 0.001M cyclohexylenediaminetetraacetic acid (DCTA) and sulfuric acid (pH 2) showed good selectivity in mixed reversed-phase and anion-exchange mode. The above mentioned separation order in which organomercurials are eluted far behind the void volume of the column, but before the mercury(II) peak is advantageous in all instances where mercury(II) is present in real samaples in great excess. Environmental and agrochemical samples contain humic material which does not interfere in this particular system. The low cost photometric detection at 500 nm after post-column derivatization by CTMA+Br micellized dithizone is almost free from interferences and enables detection limits at the 14 ng level (e.g., 0.1 ppm Hg) for 20 ~tl samples.
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