Epidemiological Experience with the Magos' Reagents in the Determination of Different Forms of Mercury in Biological Samples by Flameless Atomic Absorption

Total mercury was determined by the introduction of CdCl/sub 2/ in the presence of SnCl/sub 2/ to break the mercury to carbon bond with subsequent reduction of Hg/sup 2 +/ to Hg/sup 0/ which is determined by a flameless atomic absorption method. Inorganic mercury is determined in the absence of CdCl/sub 2/, and the organic mercury is calculated by the difference between total and inorganic mercury. The preparation of samples of whole blood, hair, urine, tissue, fish, and sediment samples is described in detail. Results obtained by this cold vapor atomic absorption method are shown to be in good agreement with results obtained for mercury content of samples analyzed by gas chromatography, proton microprobe, and x-ray fluorescence.