Reversed-phase partition high-pressure liquid chromatography of trace amounts of inorganic and organic mercury with silver diethyldithiocarbamate.

Inorganic and organic mercury diethyldithiocarbamates have been separated by reversedphase partition high-pressure liquid chromatography. The mercury chelates were formed by an exchange reaction with silver diethyldithiocarbamate in chloroform, in the presence of acetate buffer (pH 5.0). The inorganic and organic mercury chelates in the extract were separated within 30 min on a 3.9 x 300 mm mu-Bondapak C(18) column. EDTA (10(-4)M) in methanol-water mixture (78:22 v v ) was used as eluent at a flow-rate of 0.5 ml min .