Microgram amounts of mercury was determined by a technique combined with solvent extraction and subsequent X-ray fluorescence measurement. The specimen was prepared by extracting mercury (II) into dithizone-chloroform, dropping the extract wholly on a filter paper with continuous blow of warm air and by concentrating the dispersing chelate quantitatively into a definite area most intensely excited by X-ray beam by permeation with chloroform from hem of the paper.
A tungsten target X-ray tube was used for excitation of mercury in the specimen, and the intensity of HgL
α1 line emitted was measured. In this case, HgL
α1 line is overlapped by a scattered WL
β2 line so that the intensity of background (
IBG) was calculated by the equation obtained experimentally, that is,
IBG=1.10 ×
IWLγ1, where the intensity of a scattered WL
γ1line (
IWLγ1)is given by measuring for every specimen. HgL
β1 line as well as HgL
α1 line gave a satisfactory result, though its intensity was poor.
Three and 30 micrograms of mercury could be determined with 9 and 1 per-cent of variation coefficient, respectively. Problems, such as the effects of coexisting elements : silver (I), gold (III), copper (II), etc, and the extent of permeation-concentration of mercury into the area described above, were discussed.
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