Abstract
A simple and precise method was developed for the determination of mercury (Hg) in coal, coal fly ash (CFA), waste incineration ash (WIA), and soil by use of oxygen flask combustion (OFC) followed by cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CVAFS). A KMnO_4 solution was used as an absorbent, and a bag oblate was used as a wrapping material in the OFC method. The Hg-free graphite, which had been prepared by use of a mild pyrolysis procedure at 500℃, was used as the combustion agent, and the determination of Hg in ash and soil was successfully carried out. For twelve certified reference materials (six coals, three CFA samples, and three soil samples), the Hg contents obtained by this method were in good accordance with the certified or reference values. In addition, real samples including nine brands of Japanese standard coals (SS coals), nine CFAs collected from some coal-fired power plants, five WIAs collected from waste incineration plants, and two soils were analyzed by the present method, and the data were compared to those from the authentic microwave-acid digestion (MW-AD) method.
