Preconcentration and detection of mercury with bioluminescent bioreporter E. coli ARL1

Cell wall envelopes treated with sodium hydroxide and spray-dried were used as mercury sorbents. The sorbent having sorption capacity 17.7 ± 0.1 μmol/g determined was employed for preconcentration of mercury containing 1–10 ng/L. After preconcentration, bioavailable mercury was detected in samples of soil, stream, and tap water via induction of bioluminescence of E. coli ARL1. Iron and manganese at concentrations of tenth microgram per liter interfered bioluminescence detection of mercury. In tap water was detected semiquantitatively 0.127 ± 0.1 nmol/L by the induction of bioluminescence of E. coli ARL1 in medium with tryptone after preconcentration using a method of standard addition.