[Determination of trace mercury in the Chinese traditional medicine by hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry].

A hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry method has been developed for the determination of trace mercury in traditional Chinese medicines. A high-pressure digestion using HNO3-H2O2 system was applied to the pretreatment of traditional Chinese medicine samples and an interval flow precedure was used. The experimental conditions and instrumental operation parameters such as KBH4 concentration, flow rates of carrier and shield gases, currents of lamp and height of atomic oven, which affect the determination, have been optimized respectively as 0.05%, 400 and 800 mL x min(-1), 20 mA and 6 mm. Under the optimum conditions, there is a linear relationship between the fluorescence intensity and the mercury concentration with correlation coefficient of 0.9999, while the detection limit is 0.021 microg x L(-1). Trace mercury in the standard reference substance peach leaf (GBW08501, produced by the Environmental Science Committee of Chinese Scientific Institute) was also determinated in this way and the results of six times were in good agreement with the certified value, with a variation coefficient not more than 0.34%. This method is simple, rapid, sensitive, convinent and accurate, so it can be successfully used for the determination of trace mercury in traditional Chinese medi-