On-line determination of mercury in river water at the German monitoring station Schnackenburg/Elbe.

A monitor is described which provides the on-line determination of mercury in river water at concentrations from 20 to 1000 ng/L. The measurement includes an on-line digestion with Br-/BrO3- and UV-radiation. Each determination is controlled by an on-line addition of 50 and 100 ng/L mercury carried out by pre-dilution of a 500 and 1000 ng/L stock solution using sequential injection analysis (SIA). One cycle of analysis takes 20 min and results in nine signals. A five days stand-alone operation has been performed successfully. Details are also published at web page: "http/www.rzbd.fh-hamburg.de/-prmercol".