DETERMINATION OF INORGANIC HG(II) AND ORGANIC MERCURY-COMPOUNDS BY ION-PAIR HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY

The ion-pair chromatographic behavior of inorganic mercury(II) and org anomercurials was investigated with tetra-n-alkylammonium bromides as ion-pair reagents and sodium halides in a methanol-water mixture as mo bile phases. UV and three-electrode direct current argon plasma specif ic element detection were employed. The effects of the type and the co ncentration of sodium halide and ion-pair reagent, and the level of me thanol on chromatographic behavior of mercury compounds were evaluated . Both inorganic mercury(II) and benzylmercury species showed much gre ater UV response than other mercurials, while all analytes showed more consistent mercury-specific responses although there was some bias se en toward a greater response for the smaller organometallics.