Simultaneous determination of organotin, organolead, and organomercury compounds in environmental samples using capillary gas chromatography with atomic emission detection

✍ Scribed by Liu, Yan ;Lopez-Avila, Viorica ;Alcaraz, Marcela ;Beckert, Werner F.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Volume: 17
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0935-6304
• DOI: 10.1002/jhrc.1240170705

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

As part of a continuing evaluation of new analytical and sample preparation techniques conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the use of capillary gas chromatography with atomic emission detection (GC‐AED) for the simultaneous determination of organotin, organolead, and organomercury compounds in environmental samples was investigated. Pentylmagnesium bromide was used to pentylate ionic organotin, organolead, and organomercury compounds; the pentyl derivatives were then separated by GC and determined by AED. Several important GC‐AED parameters, including the type of injector inlet, carrier gas flow rate, and helium make‐up gas flow rate, were optimized for the simultaneous determination of these organometallic compounds. Their minimum detectable concentrations were approximately 1.0 to 2.5 ng/mL using a 0.5‐μL on‐column injection. The calibration curves exhibited good linearity between 2.5 and 2500 ng/mL for organotin and organolead compounds, and between 2.5 and 10000 ng/mL for organomercury compounds.