About the Lab

The USGS Mercury Research Laboratory (MRL) provides assistance and support for USGS regional and national projects in the collection and analysis of low-level mercury samples using ultra trace level clean collection and analytical methods.

The MRL currently performs analyses in filtered and unfiltered water samples for:

• low-level total mercury, and
• methyl mercury.

In addition, the laboratory performs analysis of:

• total and methyl mercury in plant and animal tissue,
• total and dissolved organic carbon in water, and
• total carbon in bedsediment and soil.

  What analysis method do you need? See the Analysis Methods page for a cross-reference of the following:

• MRL analysis codes
• NWIS codes
• detection limits
• method reference publication