Determination of Mercury in Fish: A Low-Cost Implementation of Cold-Vapor Atomic Absorbance for the Undergraduate Environmental Chemistry Laboratory

Autor/inn/en	Niece, Brian K.; Hauri, James F.
Titel	Determination of Mercury in Fish: A Low-Cost Implementation of Cold-Vapor Atomic Absorbance for the Undergraduate Environmental Chemistry Laboratory
Quelle	In: Journal of Chemical Education, 90 (2013) 4, S.487-489 (3 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0021-9584
DOI	10.1021/ed300471w
Schlagwörter	Pollution; Chemistry; Science Instruction; College Science; Undergraduate Study; Food; Spectroscopy; Science Laboratories; Science Experiments; Environmental Education; Laboratory Experiments; Toxicology; Ichthyology; Marine Biology; Animals + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schadstoffbelastung; Chemie; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Grundstudium; Lebensmittel; Spektroskopie; Umweltbildung; Umwelterziehung; Umweltpädagogik; Laboratory work; Laborarbeit; Toxikologie; Meeresbiologie; Animal; Tier; Tiere
Abstract	Mercury is a known neurotoxin that is particularly harmful to children and unborn fetuses. Consumption of contaminated fish is one major route of mercury exposure. This laboratory experiment gives students an opportunity to measure mercury concentrations in store-bought seafood and compare the results to suggested exposure limits. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended method for determination of mercury concentrations is cold-vapor atomic spectroscopy. We propose a method of adapting an existing flame atomic absorbance spectrometer for this technique with little additional cost, thus allowing students to learn about this important technique. Students measured mercury concentrations in swordfish and tuna purchased at a local supermarket. Mercury levels in both fish were within the range found by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Students gained experience with sample digestion, cold-vapor analysis, and data analysis. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Division of Chemical Education, Inc and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10