ABSTRACT
To control the amount of mercury polluting our environment, mercury has to be monitored in all areas of modern life. This requires fast and easy-to-use methods that permit the determination of mercury at levels of micrograms per liter. Up to now mercury ultratrace determination has required preconcentration or amalgamation in order to improve detection limits. This decreases accuracy of determination, introducing a longer manipulation of the sample. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) allows a direct determination of ultratrace mercury, due to the choice of interference free isotopes by the mass spectrometer detector. In fact, the detection limit for mercury by ICP-MS is 0.001 ppb. In the present work results of Hg determinations in different matrices by ICP-MS are reported. ICP-MS technique results are better than those of FIMS-100. This technique is applicable to different solid (minerals and atmospheric particulate) and liquid matrices with elimination of interferences. For solid matrices methods of attack and dissolution are reported.
ABSTRACT
As nurses, our belief is that not enough is known regarding AIDS or the HIV virus that causes it and because of this, concern among health care workers is justified. Prompted by this concern, we developed a protocol that we think will help improve staff safety while maintaining quality patient care. We are sharing our ideas as this concern affects all nephrology personnel. The intention of this article is to enable others in this field to establish a protocol based on their own individual situations and needs.
