Simple and fast determination of thimerosal in vaccines using dilute acids and cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV AFS)

A simple and fast method was developed for the determination of thimerosal (TH) in vaccines based on decomposition through the action of oxidizing systems of the organic mercury compound to...

Synthesis, structure, photophysical properties, and energy transfer mechanism of an erbium–mercury compound

A hydrothermal reaction leads to the formation of a novel erbium–mercury compound [Er(IA)3(H3O)(H2O)] n(0.5 nHg2I6) (1) (HIA = isonicotinic acid). The compound has been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It is characteristic of a one-dimensional chain-like structure and a two-dimensional supramolecular layer. A solid-state photoluminescence experiment reveals that this compound displays upconversion green photoluminescence. The photoluminescence emission peaks can be attributed to the 4 G11/2 → 4 I15/2, 4 F7/2 → 4 I15/2, and 2 H11/2 → 4 I15/2 of the Er3+ ions. The energy transfer mechanism is consistent with the energy-level diagrams of the erbium ions and isonicotinic acid ligand. This compound possesses Commission Internationale de I'Éclairage chromaticity coordinates of 0.1755 and 0.5213. A solid-state diffuse reflectance measurement reveals that this compound features a narrow optical band gap of 1.97 eV.

Specificity of Mercury Detecting Reagents for Skin Lightening Creams

Inorganic mercury compound have been used for long time in cosmetics preparations for its skin lightening effect. The used of mercury in cosmetics has been prohibited as stipulated in the decision of the BPOM RI (Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency) No.HK.00.01.432.6147. Based on health department research from various countries, there are a number of skin lightening products containing mercury between 660-57.000 μg/kg. People needs a quick and easy way to detect mercury in a lightening cream, so that people can test the safety of cream that used. One alternative that can be used to detect mercury in skin lightening cosmetics is using detecting reagents. The aim of this study was preparation of specific and sensitive mercury detecting reagents. The detecting reagents consisted mixtures of diphenylcarbazone and acetic acid in 96% of ethanol. The specificity test is performed by adding diphenylcarbazone solution into a lightening cream containing whitening agents such as mercury, hydroquinone, bangkuang extract and mixture of these substances. Assay was also performed on simulated cream that contained mercury, zinc oxide, bismuthsubnitrate, and mixture of mercury, zinc oxide and bismuthsubnitrate. The mercury detecting reagents gives a distinctive result that shown by the formation of purple mercury complex in less than 3 minutes.

Thiomersal determination on a renewable mercury film silver-based electrode using adsorptive striping voltammetry

Thiomersal(ethyl(2-mercaptobenzoato-(2-)-O,S)mercurate(1-)sodium) is an organic mercury compound, containing 49.8% mercury in its composition, commonly used as a preservative in cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.