Experimental design of a microwave-assisted extraction-derivatization method for the analysis of methylmercury

A simultaneous microwave-assisted extraction-derivatization procedure was d eveloped and optimized for methylmercury analysis from biological samples. The analyte was derivatized with sodium tetraphenylborate forming a more hy drophobic compound, methylphenylmercury, which was extractable in toluene. The microwave extraction-derivatization procedure was optimized using exper imental design, 2(5-1) fractional factorial. This chemometrical approach co nsiders main effects as well as interactions of the influential parameters, indicating that temperature and its interaction with NaBPh4 and acetic aci d volumes were the variables that significantly affected methylmercury reco veries. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.