Chemical speciation of mercury associated with airborne particulate matter by thermal desorption coupied with ICP-MS detection

Identification and quantification of mercury associated with airborne particulate matter are important in understanding mercury transformation/conversion in the natural environment. This information can be used to achieve source identification and apportionment of mercury in the environment and is important in understanding and assessing the risk of mercury to ecological systems and to human health. A new methodology has been developed for identification and quantification of mercury species associated with atmospheric particulate matter/aerosols. This methodology combines temperaturecontrolled thermal desorption for separation of mercury species with ICP-MS for detection and quantification. Coal-fly ash spiked with various mercury compounds has been used for testing the new methodology. Samples of airborne particulate matter are collected from urban environment, an industrial area and a remote site (Alert, Canada) and are analyzed for mercury species. The results will be compare and discussed in terms of their usefulness for understanding the mechanisms of mercury transformation in the natural environment and for identifying emission sources of mercury