DETERMINATION OF MERCURY IN ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN GEOCHEMICAL REFERENCE SAMPLES BY COLD VAPOR ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY

The mercury content of 118 geochemical reference samples have been determined by combustion followed by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. The negative interference from volatile halogen and sulfur was eliminated by a packing of sodium carbonate in the combustion tube and addition of magnesium oxide to the samples. A comparison with published data show clearly the need for much more data on most reference samples.