A rapid method for the determination of methylmercury and inorganic mercury species in whole blood by liquid chromatography with detection using vapor generation ICP-MS/MS.

Speciation methods provide a more detailed picture regarding human exposure to toxic metals/metalloids and their effects on human health. The toxicity of methylmercury (MeHg) differs considerably from inorganic mercury (iHg), such that their separation and quantification in whole blood is helpful in identifying sources and possible pathways of exposure. Liquid chromatography (LC) has several advantages over gas chromatography (GC) for the separation of iHg from MeHg due to the former's compatibility with uptake rates of common nebulizer systems used with ICP-MS and the latter's requirement for a derivatization step to produce gaseous Hg species for an effective separation.