Designation:D3223−17StandardTestMethodforTotalMercuryinWater1ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationD3223;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyearoforiginaladoptionor,inthecaseofrevision,theyearoflastrevision.Anumberinparenthesesindicatestheyearoflastreapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon(´)indicatesaneditorialchangesincethelastrevisionorreapproval.ThisstandardhasbeenapprovedforusebyagenciesoftheU.S.DepartmentofDefense.1.Scope*1.1Thistestmethod2coversthedeterminationoftotalmercuryinwaterintherangefrom0.5to10.0µgHg/L(1).3Thetestmethodisapplicabletofreshwaters,salinewaters,andsomeindustrialandsewageeffluents.Itistheuser’sresponsi-bilitytoensurethevalidityofthistestmethodforwatersofuntestedmatrices.1.1.1Theanalystshouldrecognizethattheprecisionandbiasofthisstandardmaybeaffectedbytheotherconstituentsinallwaters,astap,industrial,river,andwastewaters.Thecoldvaporatomicabsorptionmeasurementportionofthismethodisapplicabletotheanalysisofmaterialsotherthanwater(sediments,biologicalmaterials,tissues,etc.)if,andonlyif,aninitialprocedurefordigestingandoxidizingthesampleiscarriedout,ensuringthatthemercuryinthesampleisconvertedtothemercuricion,andisdissolvedinaqueousmedia(2,3).1.2Bothorganicandinorganicmercurycompoundsmaybeanalyzedbythisprocedureiftheyarefirstconvertedtomercuricions.Usingpotassiumpersulfateandpotassiumpermanganateasoxidants,andadigestiontemperatureof95°C,approximately100%recoveryoforganomercurycom-poundscanbeobtained(2,4).1.3Therangeofthetestmethodmaybechangedbyinstrumentorrecorderexpansionorboth,andbyusingalargervolumeofsample.1.4ThevaluesstatedinSIunitsaretoberegardedasstandard.Nootherunitsofmeasurementareincludedinthisstandard.1.5Amethodforthedisposalofmercury-containingwastesisalsopresented(AppendixX1)(5).1.6Warning—Mercuryhasbeendesignatedbymanyregu-latoryagenciesasahazardousmaterialthatcancauseseriousmedicalissues.Mercury,oritsvapor,hasbeendemonstratedtobehazardoustohealthandcorrosivetomaterials.Cautionshouldbetakenwhenhandlingmercur...
