Determination of mercury(II) by its inhibitory effect on the enzymic reaction of ethanol oxidation using flow injection

Abstract

A flow injection procedure is described for the determination of Hg²⁺, based on its non-competitive inhibition of the catalytic effect of alcohol dehydrogenase on the oxidation of ethanol by the coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Mercury can be determined within the range 0.5–20 ppm with a relative standard deviation of 1–1.5% and at a sampling rate of 120–150 h^–1. Only Ag⁺ was observed to interfere.