5.1 The emission of mercury during crude oil refining is an environmental concern. The emission of mercury may also contaminate refined products and form amalgams with metals, such as aluminum.

5.2 When representative test portions are analyzed according to this procedure, the total mercury is representative of concentrations in the sample.

1.1 This test method covers the procedure to determine the total mercury content in a sample of crude oil. This test method can be used for total mercury determination in natural and processed liquid and oil products (gasoline, naphtha, etc.).

1.2 This test method may be applied to samples containing between 5.0 ng/mL to 350 ng/mL of mercury. The results may be converted to mass basis.

1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

1.4 This work has been published in “Determination of Mercury in Crude Oil by Atomic Spectroscopy.”2

1.5 WARNING—Mercury has been designated by many regulatory agencies as a hazardous substance that can cause serious medical issues. Mercury, or its vapor, has been demonstrated to be hazardous to health and corrosive to materials. Use Caution when handling mercury and mercury-containing products. See the applicable product Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for additional information. The potential exists that selling mercury or mercury-containing products, or both, is prohibited by local or national law. Users must determine legality of sales in their location.

1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.