@article{fdi:010078979,
  title = {{S}ensitive determination of methylmercury delta {C}-13 compound specific stable isotopic analysis by purge and trap gas chromatography combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry},
  author = {{Q}ueipo-{A}bad, {S}. and {L}agane, {C}hristelle and {P}oint, {D}avid},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{D}espite several decades of mercury research, answering fundamental questions on where and how methylmercury ({CH}3{H}g) toxin is naturally produced in aquatic ecosystems, is still highly challenging. {I}nvestigating complex and/or coupled processes in the context of global changes requires new high-resolution analytical tools. {T}he purpose of the compound specific carbon stable isotopic analysis (delta {C}-13-{CSIA}) of the methyl group of methylmercury ({CH}3{H}g), is to explore how the carbon cycle contributes to {CH}3{H}g sources and formation pathways. {T}he main problem associated with recent {CH}3{H}g delta {C}-13-{CSIA} methods is the limited sensitivity when using {L}iquid {I}njection ({LI})-{GC}-{C}-{IRMS} techniques, requiring several micrograms of {CH}3{H}g (as {H}g). {I}n this work, we present the development and application of an original {P}urge-&-{T}rap system ({PT}) coupled to a {GC}-{C}-{IRMS} with the purpose of transferring and analyzing the total amount of {CH}3{H}g available in a sample vial in the low nanogram range. {T}he new {PT}-{GC}-{C}-{IRMS} system enhance the sensitivity by a factor better than 200, relative to {LI}-{GC}-{C}-{IRMS}, by minimizing the sample mass requirements. {T}he delta {C}-13({CH}3{H}g) values obtained, following the same sample derivatization approach coupled to {PT}-{GC}-{C}-{IRMS} (-53.5 +/- 1.9 %), were in good agreement with the ones obtained in a previous study (-53.8 +/- 1.1 %). {T}he standard solution was prepared from the same salt, requesting only 25-200 ng of {CH}3{H}g (as {H}g). {T}his new methodology represents a milestone towards the analysis of large array of biological samples displaying {CH}3{H}g concentrations in the low-mid ng g(-1) range, in order to explore the meaning of the carbon stable isotopic signature of {CH}3{H}g in the environment.},
  keywords = {{M}ethylmercury ; {C}arbon isotopes ; {P}urge and trap ; {I}sotope ratio mass ; spectrometry},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {C}hromatography {A}},
  volume = {1617},
  numero = {},
  pages = {art. 460821 [8p.]},
  ISSN = {0021-9673},
  year = {2020},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.chroma.2019.460821},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010078979},
}