The present and potential future of aqueous mercury preservation: a review

King, DCP, Watts, MJ, Hamilton, EM, Mortimer, R ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1292-8861, Kilgour, DPA ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3860-7532 and Di Bonito, M ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8590-0267, 2023. The present and potential future of aqueous mercury preservation: a review. Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts. ISSN 2050-7887

Preview

Text 1737165_Di Bonito.pdf - Post-print Download (410kB) | Preview

Abstract

Mercury is considered to be one of the most toxic elements to humans. Due to pollution from industry and artisanal gold mining, mercury species are present globally in waters used for agriculture, aquaculture, and drinking water. This review summarises methods reported for preserving mercury species in water samples and highlights the associated hazards and issues with each. This includes the handling of acids in an uncontrolled environment, breakage of sample containers, and the collection and transport of sample volumes in excess of 1 L, all of which pose difficulties for both in situ collection and transportation. Literature related to aqueous mercury preservation from 2000–2021 was reviewed, as well as any commonly cited and relevant references. Amongst others, solid-phase extraction techniques were explored for preservation and preconcentration of total and speciated mercury in water samples. Additionally, the potential as a safe, in situ preservation and storage method for mercury species were summarised. The review highlighted that the stability of mercury is increased when adsorbed on a solid-phase and therefore the metal and its species can be preserved without the need for hazardous reagents or materials in the field. The mercury species can then be eluted upon return to a laboratory, where sensitive analytical detection and speciation methods can be better applied. Developments in solid phase extraction as a preservation method for unstable metals such as mercury will improve the quality of representative environmental data, and further improve toxicology and environmental monitoring studies.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts
Creators:	King, D.C.P., Watts, M.J., Hamilton, E.M., Mortimer, R., Kilgour, D.P.A. and Di Bonito, M.
Publisher:	Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date:	26 January 2023
ISSN:	2050-7887
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1039/d2em00409g DOI 1737165 Other
Rights:	© Royal Society of Chemistry 2023.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	14 Mar 2023 10:36
Last Modified:	26 Jan 2024 03:00
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/48496

Actions (login required)

Edit View

Statistics

Views

Downloads