AN43130: Combining the Synergies of Ion Chromatography and Inductively Coupled Plasma to Identify Mercury Contamination in Herbal Medicines

Instrument Type: IC

Herbal medicines containing high total mercury concentrations were previously identified (ICP-MS) as the possible cause of several cases of accidental mercury poisoning. Because mercury species have very different toxicities, speciation analysis is needed to determine the patients’ treatment. Here inorganic and organic mercury ions are separated by IC using a mixed eluent (1.0 mM acetic acid, 1 mM sodium perchlorate, 5 mM cysteine, pH = 4.0) on an IonPac CS5A mixed cation-anion-exchange column. The eluting species are detected and quantified by absorbance at 210 nm.