Determination of inorganic mercury by Atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS) (CAT#: STEM-ST-0144-WXH)

Introduction

With the periodic table symbol Hg, mercury is widely considered as one of the most toxic heavy metals in the world. Inorganic mercury occurs abundantly in the natural world, most commonly in mineral form as cinnabar and metacinnabar.
Some of the most commonly found inorganic mercury compounds include mercuric chloride, mercuric oxide and mercuric sulphide. These usually take the form of a white crystalline powder and can leach into soil after the erosion of rocks containing them, be transported great distances in water or emitted into the air when ores which host them are mined.