The use of an oxygen bomb as an alternative method for digestion of fish tissue for total mercury analysis

One of the major time consuming steps in many of the methods used for the analysis of fish tissue for total mercury is the wet oxidation by concentrated acids. This paper compares the use of an oxygen bomb with the nitric/sulfuric acid wet oxidation technique for the determination of total mercury in fish tissue. No significant differences existed in the concentrations obtained by wet oxidation and bomb oxidation with absorption by deionised distilled water. When only a small number of samples (< 5) is to be analysed the oxidation bomb is quicker than published techniques. The oxygen bomb technique lacks the hazardous problems associated with the use of concentrated acids and produces a digest suitable for the determination of other elements but has a requirement for added capital cost.