Lumex Instruments analyzer helped to identify the sources of mercury in the Siberian tigers

July 2021 – The Russian Far East. RA-915M analyzer with PYRO-915+ attachment was used in mercury cycling research to measure mercury content in the Siberian tigers in the coastal and inland ecosystems of the Russian Far East.

During the research, scientists find out that the total mercury content in tigers’ fur is higher in coastal area comparing to inland. The similar mercury distribution was found in lichens.

Authors consider several possible reasons for mercury accumulation in coastal tigers population: such as dietary (difference in fish consumption), methylmercury air transfer with the ocean’s fog, and geogenic sources of mercury.

The mercury concentration in all samples was measured using the mercury analyzer RA-915M with PYRO-915+ attachment. The set enables fast direct mercury determination in complex samples. The measurements method is based on atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman background correction, which provides the highest sensitivity with no interferences from the sample matrix. This technique does not involve preconcentration on a gold trap and “cooling step”, thereby eliminating errors brought about by sample pre-treatment. RA-915M with PYRO-915+ can be used at stationary and mobile laboratories.

The full research with the analysis data is available here.