Question: What are the types of gases and chemicals you use

Rebecca von Hellfeld answered on 1 May 2025:

Hey, awesome question! I am super lucky in that I have an instrument that measures mercury in samples without me having to do anything to the samples first. It essentially burns the samples in an enclosed chamber, and compressed air moves the fumes through the equipment, guiding it past a sensor that detects how much mercury is in the fumes. So all I need is my nifty little instrument and a connection to the compressed air system of the university.
Sounds easy, right? Well, for the last month, the compressed air has been turning itself off randomly, and it has caused us a lot of head aches!

I also tried extracting different contaminants from the samples, for which I had to handle a lot of nasty chemicals like toluene – a strong solvent – and methylmercury – a really dangerous neurotoxin! For that, I had to sign a lot of forms saying that I know what risks I am putting myself under and that I would not be a danger to anyone else.