On reference method development for traceability of measurements of the mercury content in gaseous media

Abstract

To certify gas mixtures in the range of low (10-3-10-8 g/m3) mercury concentrations, we have proposed and tested a traceable method for measuring the mass concentration of mercury in gaseous media by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP/MS). The proposed method is based on a scheme that provides for the mass spectrometer calibration for saturated vapors (physical constant) of pure metallic mercury, dosed directly into the carrier gas stream - argon. The undoubted advantage of this method is its applicability to various gases and gas mixtures, which allows you to simulate any matrix medium that affects the measurement results of mercury content when analyzed by other methods. On this basis, «Methods of measuring the mass concentration of mercury in binary gas mixtures by ICP/MS» were developed and certified. The measurement range of mercury mass concentration is from 0,03 to 1000 pg/m3, the relative expanded uncertainty of measurements U- 4 %.

Keywords

• mercury
• atomic absorption spectrometry
• measurement procedure
• icp-mass-spectrometry
• vapor mercury generator
• traceability