Evaluation of electron capture gas chromatographic method for determination of methyl mercury in freezer-case seafoods

A method was recently adopted by AOAC for determination of methyl-bound mercury in canned and fresh-frozen seafood by electron capture gas chromatography. That method was applied to the analysis of commercially prepared freezer-case seafoods. None of the commercially added ingredients produced electron capture responses that interfered in the analysis for methyl mercury. Recoveries of 95.7-114% were obtained in fortification studies of methyl mercury at 0.2 and 1.0 ppm levels. The applicability of aqueous methyl mercuric chloride solution for fortification studies was demonstrated.