STABILITY AND REACTIONS OF MERCURY SPECIES IN ORGANIC SOLUTION

The stability over time of elemental mercury, methylmercury and inorga nic mercury species was evaluated in heptane, toluene and mixed hydroc arbon solutions, Elemental mercury and inorganic mercury(II) were dete rmined using a specific extraction method followed by ICP-MS or CVAAS, Methylmercury and mercury(II) were determined by GC-MTP-AES after der ivatisation with Grignard reagent, The results show that significant l osses of mercury species from solution can occur by two pathways: by a dsorption on the container wall and by reactions forming mercury(I) co mpounds. For the latter pathway, rapid losses of dissolved elemental m ercury and mercury(II) chloride species occur when both are present in solution. For heptane solutions containing HgCl2, 80% of the HgCl2 re mains after 13 d in a pure standard compared with 11% in a standard co ntaining Hg-0. Mercury(I) compounds form a colloidal material, which i s not soluble in these organic solvents at a detectable concentration, Mercury(I) compounds were butylated with Grignard reagent to form the organic mercury(I) compound (C4H9)(2)Hg-2 that was measured specifica lly by GC-MIP-AES and GC-MS. This new compound was stable and appeared to precipitate from solution.