%0 Journal Article
%T Methodology optimization and application for measurement of gaseous elemental mercury in the amazon atmosphere
%A Almeida
%A Marcelo D.
%A Marins
%A Rozane V.
%A Paraquetti
%A Heloisa H. M.
%A Lacerda
%A Luiz D.
%J Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society
%D 2008
%I Sociedade Brasileira de Qu¨ªmica, SBQ
%R 10.1590/S0103-50532008000700010
%X the aim of this study was to optimize a semi-automatic methodology using commercial pure gold cartridges (tekran inc.) to quantify gaseous elemental mercury (gem) in the amazon atmosphere. the detection limit was 0.020 ¡À 0.006 ng hg. this corresponds to detection limits varying from 0.2 to 0.4 ng hg m-3, for field sample volumes ranging between 0.1 and 0.05 m3. the similarity between the 9 tested cartridges was evaluated. under sampling flow rates varying between 0.4 and 2.0 l min-1 no difference among cartridges was observed. the maximum retention capacity of the cartridge (breakthrough) was not reached in experiments with flow rates of 1 or 2 l min-1, and with hg concentration of 25 ng m-3 and maximum air volume of 150 l. water condensation on the gold surface showed to be a problem, but that was solved by heating the sample cartridge at 60 oc during sampling.
%K gaseous elemental mercury (gem)
%K atmospheric mercury
%K amazon atmosphere
%K methodology optimization.
%U http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S0103-50532008000700010&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en