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.

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 procedures to determine the total mercury content in a sample of crude oil.

1.2 The test method may be applied to crude oil samples containing between 5 to 400 ng/mL of mercury. The results may be converted to mass basis, and reported as ng/g of mercury.

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 WARNING—Mercury has been designated by many regulatory agencies as a hazardous material that can cause central nervous system, kidney and liver damage. Mercury, or its vapor, may be hazardous to health and corrosive to materials. Caution should be taken when handling mercury and mercury containing products. See the applicable product Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for details and EPA’s websitehttp://www.epa.gov/mercury/faq.htmfor additional information. Users should be aware that selling mercury and/or mercury containing products into your state or country may be prohibited by law.

1.5 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 and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.