Continuous microwave assisted pervaporation/atomic fluorescence detection: An approach for speciation in solid samples

A method for the speciation of mercury in solid samples based on microwave assisted pervaporation-atomic fluorescence detection in a continuous flow system has been developed. The sample is placed in a laboratory-made pervaporation cell, and either SnCl2 (for Hg(NO3)2) or oxidising solution followed by SnCl2 (for PhHgAc) are injected into the sample via a syringe. The cell is then placed inside a microwave device so that the microwaves are focused only on the sample chamber. After application of the microwaves, the flow of gas or liquid in the upper acceptor chamber is started and the Hg driven to the detector via a gas-liquid separator. The method features a linear range from 10 to 500 μg kg−1 (r2 = 0.9999) and has a sampling frequency of 10–12 h−1. Acceptable results were obtained for the speciation of mercury in a certified reference material