Mercury in Human Hair: A Comparative Study by Using Two Different Metohods of Atomic Absorption and Neutron Activation Analysis

抄録

Magos (1971) reported a new method of atomic absorption spectrometry for selective and simple determination of inorganic and organic mercury. To investigate the reliability of Magos's method, the content of inorganic and organic mercury in human hair was measured by Magos's method, and the results were compared with the value of organic mercury content by atomic absorption spectrometry with oxidized HCl-extract solution of hair, and with the value of total mercury content by neutron activation analysis. The comparison of the levels of organic mercury determined by Magos's method with that obtained with the HCl-extract gave a good coincidence (r=0.839) and the comparison between the total mercury, inorganic and organic, by Magos's method and that by neutron activation analysis did too (r=0.985). The extent of correlation was considered to be large enough to accept Magos's method for further use.