USGS Mercury Research Laboratory
USGS Mercury Research Laboratory

Mercury Research
Team Staff :

Methods used for common analysis types

Analysis type codes and definitions are found on the back of the Request for Analysis form.

 

Cross-reference of Lab Analysis Codes to Methods Used

MRL code

NWIS code

Description

Detection Limit

Method Reference

Water
FTHG P50287

Filtered total mercury

  1. Manual HgT
  2. Automated HgT Tekran 2600
 0.04 ng/L EPA Method 1631, Rev. E
FMHG P50285

Filtered methylmercury

  1. Manual MeHg – no isotope dilution
  2. Manual MeHg by ICPMS isotope dilution
  3. Brooks-Rand “MERX” by ICPMS isotope dilution
 0.04 ng/L USGS Open-File Report 01-445
UTHG P50286

Unfiltered total mercury

  1. Manual HgT
  2. Automated Hg Tekran 2600
 0.04 ng/L EPA Method 1631, Rev. E
UMHG P50284

Unfiltered methylmercury

  1. Manual MeHg – no isotope dilution
  2. Manual MeHg by ICPMS isotope dilution
  3. Brooks-Rand “MERX” by ICPMS isotope dilution
 0.04 ng/L USGS Open-File Report 01-445
PTHG P62976

Particulate total mercury (Tekran 2600)

 0.059 ng/filter USGS Techniques and Methods 5A-8
PMHG P62977

Particulate methylmercury

  1. Manual MeHg – no isotope dilution
  2. Brooks-Rand “MERX” by ICPMS isotope dilution
 0.01 ng/filter USGS Techniques and Methods 5A-7
DOC P00681 Dissolved organic carbon not yet determined Shimadzu - catalytically-aided platinum 680°C combustion technique
TOC P00680 Total organic carbon not yet determined Shimadzu - catalytically-aided platinum 680°C combustion technique

Bedsediment and Soil
STHG P62978

Sediment total mercury

  1. Nippon MA-2 Mercury Analyzer
  2. Automated Tekran 2600
 0.3 ng/ analytical aliquot USGS Techniques and Methods 5A-8 - acid digestion
1.38 ng/g EPA Method 7473 (SW-846) Rev. 0 - direct combustion
SMHG P62979

Sediment methylmercury

Brook-Rand “MERX”

 0.08 ng/g USGS Techniques and Methods 5A-7
DRY_WT P64177 Dry weight percent (percent solids) not applicable USGS Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations 5-A1, 3rd ed., p. 48
LOI P64178

Percent loss on ignition

 not applicable USGS Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations 5-A1, 3rd ed., p. 451

Plant and Animal Tissue
BMHG not yet assigned

Biological methylmercury

  1. Animal Tissue (Brooks-Rand “MERX”)
  2. Plant Tissue (Brooks-Rand “MERX”)
 determined per analytical batch
  1. dilute nitric acid digestion per "Bioaccumulation and Trophic Transfer of Methylmercury in Long Island Sound," 2006, Chad R. Hammerschmidt and William F. Fitzgerald, Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 51(3):416-424 doi:10.1007/s00244-005-0265-7
  2. USGS Open-File Report 01-445 with modifications
BTHG not yet assigned

Biological total mercury

  1. Nippon MA-2 Mercury Analyzer
  2. Automated Tekran 2600

 

 determined per analytical batch
  1. sulphuric:nitric acid digestion
  2. dilute nitric acid digestion per "Bioaccumulation and Trophic Transfer of Methylmercury in Long Island Sound," 2006, Chad R. Hammerschmidt and William F. Fitzgerald, Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 51(3):416-424 doi:10.1007/s00244-005-0265-7
  3. EPA Method 7473 (SW-846) Rev. 0 - direct combustion

 

 

 

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