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Rapid Determination of Mercury in Seafood in an Introductory Environmental Science Class

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Jeanette K. Rice , J. David Jenkins , Citabria Manley , Eric Sorel and C. Jimmy Smith

Department of Chemistry, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460-8064

J. Chem. Educ., 2005, 82 (2), p 265

DOI: 10.1021/ed082p265

Publication Date (Web): February 1, 2005

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

Environmental mercury has been a media topic over the past decade, with particular concern over its bioaccumulation in seafood. However routine analysis in the undergraduate laboratory is lacking owing to experimental challenges with traditional methods. Modern instrumentation alleviates these challenges and makes it possible to bring this relevant topic to the undergraduate laboratory, even for nonmajor students. We present the results for mercury content in various seafood samples obtained by students in an entry-level nonmajors chemistry course via direct mercury analysis and demonstrate how this important environmental contaminant can be easily determined in a meaningful laboratory experience.

Keywords (Audience):

First-Year Undergraduate / General

Keywords (Domain):

Environmental Chemistry

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Hands-On Learning / Manipulatives

Keywords (Subject):

Nonmajor Courses

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This article has been cited by 1 ACS Journal articles (1 most recent appear below).

Mercury in Environmental and Biological Samples Using Online Combustion with Sequential Atomic Absorption and Fluorescence Measurements: A Direct Comparison of Two Fundamental Techniques in Spectrometry
James V. Cizdziel
Journal of Chemical Education2011 88 (2), 209-215
- Mercury in Environmental and Biological Samples Using Online Combustion with Sequential Atomic Absorption and Fluorescence Measurements: A Direct Comparison of Two Fundamental Techniques in Spectrometry
  James V. Cizdziel
  Journal of Chemical Education2011 88 (2), 209-215
  In this laboratory experiment, students quantitatively determine the concentration of an element (mercury) in an environmental or biological sample while comparing and contrasting the fundamental techniques of atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and ...
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