The development of preservation methods for mercury and its species in water samples
Research project overview
The project aims to develop a preservation method for mercury (Hg) and its species, that can be safely used in the field and is suitable for transport and storage up to 4-weeks. This method will then be used at real-world sites, including dis-used mining sites in the UK for field testing and around Lake Victoria in Kenya. Such field tests will help determine the mercury concentration and speciation in Hg polluted areas.
The above work will be complemented by experimental on speciation of Hg from solid materials, alongside water-based extraction using the cartridge method.
These methods will be used in tandem at an artisanal and a small-scale gold-mining site in Kenya, to examine the Hg species concentrations and changes through a river and drinking water source.
Potential impact
The study will lead to the development of methods in soil phase extraction as a preservation method for unstable metals such as mercury. In turn, helping to improve the quality of representative environmental data and further improve toxicology and environmental monitoring studies.
Team members
- Dr Marcello Di Bonito – Principal Investigator – NTU - ARES
- David King – PhD Candidate – ARES
- Dr Elliot Hamilton – Co-Investigator – British Geographical Survey (BGS)
- Dr Mike Coffey – Co-Investigator – NTU - School of Science and Technology