DETERMINATION OF ORGANIC IONIC LEAD AND MERCURY SPECIES WITH HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY USING SULFUR REAGENTS

We have verified the suitability of different sulphur-containing compl exing reagents for the HPLC separation of ionic lead and mercury compo unds with subsequent photometric detection. For the optimization of th e separations, different parameters, e.g. the pH value of the mobile p hase, were varied and their influence on the retention of the species determined. For the first time on-column derivatization with mercaptoe thanol was used for the separation of lead compounds. Based on the opt imized chromatographic conditions, an on-line enrichment system was de veloped with recoveries between 75 and 88%. The use of methyl thioglyc olate as the second complexing reagent made it possible to determine a ll analytes, organolead and organomercury compounds, simultaneously. F inally, both methods are compared briefly.