Mercury Detection by Means of Thin Gold Films

Abstract

The adsorption of elemental mercury vapor on a thin (several hundred angstroms) gold film produces resistance changes in the film. An instrument for the detection of mercury based on this phenomenon is simple and rapid and requires no chemical separations other than passage of the vapor sample through a few standard dry filters. The instrument is portable, and the technique is directly applicable to environmental problems and geochemical prospecting. The limit of detection of the prototype instrument is 0.05 nanogram of mercury.

Mercury Exposure From Dental Amalgam Fillings: Absorbed Dose and the Potential for Adverse Health Effects

“…The lerome Gold Film Mercury Vapor Analyzer typically has been used to perform these measurements. This instrument registers the changes in the electrical resistance of a gold film that occur when mercury is adsorbed and automatically transforms these changes into an amount of mercury (McNerney et al, 1972). Within the apparatus, this amount is divided by the programmed value of the sampling volume, and the results are given as a concentration (mg Hg/m3) on the display.…”

Development of the Third Generation JPL Electronic Nose for International Space Station Technology Demonstration

“…It was clear from that search that while there were some developmental materials, metallic gold films are the most reliable method of detecting mercury vapor [10].…”

“…Previous work in development of sensors for Hg detection by other researchers have predominately focused on using thin films of gold and other noble metals to form a metal-mercury amalgam, and reading the change in resistance with amalgam formation [10,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27].…”

“…Initial studies of Hg sensing focused on repeating the well-known ability of thin gold films to amalgamate Hg, resulting in a decrease in conductivity in the film [10]. Studies showed that these films showed sufficient change in conductivity and could be integrated into the JPL ENose sensor unit platform if the films were made ~15 nm thick.…”

Analytical data report for a pilot-study of twenty stream-sediment, heavy-mineral concentrate, and rock samples from the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness Study Area, south-central Colorado

“…Stream sediment samples were analyzed for gold by the atomic absorption spectrometry method, described by Thompson, Nakagawa, and VanSickle (1968). The instrumental method used for mercury is documented by McNerney, Buseck, and Hanson (1972). Stream sediment samples were analyzed for tungsten by a colorimetric method described by Quin and Brooks (1972).…”