Impregnation and Characterization of High Performance Extraction Columns for Separation of Metal Ions

Impregnation behaviors of reverse-phase silica materials and C18-silica HPLC columns were studied using di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HDEHP) as a model extractant. Initially, the adsorption efficiency of the ligand on different types of bulk particles was investigated using various concentration of HDEHP in different composition of methanol/water mixtures based on a batch technique. Subsequently, impregnation of HPLC columns was performed using the dynamic flow-through technique. The experimental data fitted well to the Langmuir model and the adsorption isotherms from the flow-through experiment were used to prepare extraction columns of different ligand densities. Finally, the impregnated columns were characterized and validated through HPLC separation of the lanthanides

Mercury in the Atmosphere, Snow and Melt Water Ponds in the North Atlantic Ocean during Arctic Summer

International audienceAtmospheric mercury speciation measurements were performed during a 10 week Arctic summer expedition in the North Atlantic Ocean onboard the German research vessel RV Polarstern between June 15 and August 29, 2004. This expedition covered large areas of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans between latitudes 54°N and 85°N and longitudes 16°W and16°E. Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) and mercury associated with particles (Hg−P) were measured during this study. In addition, total mercury in surface snow and meltwater ponds located on sea ice floes was measured. GEM showed a homogeneous distribution over the open North Atlantic Ocean (median 1.53 ± 0.12 ng/m3), which is in contrast to the higher concentrations of GEM observed over sea ice (median 1.82 ± 0.24 ng/m3). It is hypothesized that this results from either (re-) emission of mercury contained in snow and ice surfaces that was previously deposited during atmospheric mercury depletion events (AMDE) in the spring or evasion from the ocean due to increased reduction potential at high latitudes during Arctic summer. Measured concentrations of total mercury in surface snow and meltwater ponds were low (all samples <10 ng/L), indicating that marginal accumulation of mercury occurs in these environmental compartments. Results also reveal low concentrations of RGM and Hg−P without a significant diurnal variability. These results indicate that the production and deposition of these reactive mercury species do not significantly contribute to the atmospheric mercury cycle in the North Atlantic Ocean during the Arctic summer

Measurements of atmospheric mercury species during an international study of mercury depletion events at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, spring 2003. How reproducible are our present methods?

International audienceSix groups participated in an international study of springtime atmospheric mercury depletion events (AMDEs) at Ny-Ålesund in the Norwegian Arctic during April and May 2003 with the aim to compare analytical methods for measurements of atmospheric mercury species and study the physical and chemical processes leading to AMDEs. Five groups participated in the method comparison that was conducted at three different locations within Ny-Ålesund. Various automated and manual instrumentation were used to sample, measure and compare gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) and mercury associated with particles (Hg-P). The concentration of GEM was reproducible during background conditions. For the first time using ambient air, the statistics associated with round robin test procedures were applied. This was found to be an appropriate tool to investigate the reproducibility of GEM measurements in ambient air. The precision for each group measuring GEM concentrations was found to be consistently good (within 5%). Five AMDEs were recorded during the study. Using four different methods, including single and replicate samples, all groups recorded higher values of RGM and Hg-P during AMDEs. The results show that measuring comparable atmospheric mercury species at both the same and different locations (within the Ny-Ålesund area) is difficult. Not only do site location and site characteristics create challenges when trying to intercompare results but there are difficulties, as well, in obtaining comparable results with similar sampling and analysis methods. Nevertheless, with our current procedures for atmospheric mercury identification we can differentiate with certainty between “high” and “low” concentration values of RGM and Hg-P