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By using the experimental design (DoE) technique, we optimized an analytical method for the determination of mercury isotope ratios by means of cold-vapor multicollector ICP-MS (CV-MC-ICP-MS) to provide absolute Hg isotopic ratio measurements with a suitable internal precision. By running 32 experiments, the influence of mercury and thallium internal standard concentrations, total measuring time and sample flow rate was evaluated. Method was optimized varying Hg concentration between 2 and 20 ng g⁻¹. The model finds out some correlations within the parameters affect the measurements precision and predicts suitable sample measurement precisions for Hg concentrations from 5 ng g⁻¹ Hg upwards.

The method was successfully applied to samples of Manila clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) coming from the Marano and Grado lagoon (NE Italy), a coastal environment affected by long term mercury …