Determination and speciation of mercury in a dental work-place by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry and gas-liquid chromatography.

Cold Vapour Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (CVAAS) and Gas-Liquid Chromatography (GLC) have been used for determination and speciation of mercury. Total mercury, methylmercury, ethylmercury and phenylmercury concentrations in urine samples taken from students and staff of a dental work-place were investigated. Air samples were also analyzed. Detection limits, as three times the standard deviation, and in units of ng analyte per ml urine were found to be 1.7, 12, 2.4 and 21 for total mercury, methylmercury chloride, ethylmercury chloride and phenylmercury chloride, respectively.