New transverse Zeeman effect method for mercury detection based on common mercury lamp

Abstract

The accurate background correction can determine the minimum limit of trace mercury measurement in atmosphere by the cold vapor atomic absorption method. This paper studies a new method of mercury detection using the common mercury lamp as sources which correct the background according to the transverse Zeeman effect. The resonance spectral line (253.65 nm) of the meccury lamp generates σ-, σ+, and π linear polarized light in the vertical direction of the magnetic field. This study obtains mercury absorbance of σ-, σ+, and π light in different magnetic field intensity by using ultra-high resolution spectrometer, then gets the minimum field intensity of the method. We discuss the existing possible interference caused by benzene with narrow-band absorption and acetone with broadband absorption under 1.78 T magnetic field intensity. Taking σ- and σ+ as background light, and π as absorption light, we quantify the saturated mercury vapor cell with different lengths. With the accurate background correction, the R value of absorption fitting curve can achieve 0.99. Results indicate that the method can accomplish the job of accurate background correction and can be applied to trace mercury measurement in atmosphere.