ISO 17733:2004 Workplace air - Determination of mercury and inorganic mercury compounds - Method by cold-vapour atomic absorption spectrometry or atomic fluorescence spectrometry
This International Standard specifies a procedure for determination of the time-weighted average mass
concentration of mercury vapour and inorganic mercury compounds in workplace air. Mercury vapour is
collected on a solid sorbent using either a diffusive badge or a pumped sorbent tube. Particulate inorganic
mercury compounds, if present, are collected on a quartz fibre filter. Samples are analysed using either cold
vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) or cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CVAFS)
after acid dissolution of the mercury collected.
This International Standard is applicable to the assessment of personal exposure to mercury vapour and/or
particulate inorganic mercury compounds in air for comparison with long-term or short-term exposure limits for
mercury and inorganic mercury compounds and for static (area) sampling.
The lower limit of the working range of the procedure is the quantification limit. This is determined by the
sampling and analysis methods selected by the user, but it is typically in the range 0,01 µg to 0,04 µg of
mercury (see 13.1). The upper limit of the working range of the procedure is determined by the capacity of the
diffusive badge, sorbent tube or filter used for sample collection, but it is at least 30 µg of mercury (see 13.2).
The concentration range of mercury in air for which this International Standard is applicable is determined in
part by the sampling method selected by the user, but it is also dependent on the air sample volume.
The diffusive badge method is not applicable to measurements of mercury vapour when chlorine is present in
the atmosphere, e.g. in chloralkali works, but chlorine does not interfere with the pumped sorbent tube method
(see 13.11.1). Gaseous organo-mercury compounds could cause a positive interference in the measurement
of mercury vapour (see 13.11.2). Similarly, particulate organo-mercury compounds and gaseous
organo-mercury compounds adsorbed onto airborne particles could cause a positive interference in the
measurement of particulate inorganic mercury compounds (see 13.11.3).
ISO 17733:2004 Referenced Document
ISO 1042 Laboratory glassware - One-mark volumetric flasks
ISO 3696:1987 Water for analytical laboratory use; Specification and test methods
ISO 648 Laboratory glassware - Single-volume pipettes*, 2008-10-01 Update
ISO 7708:1995 Air quality - Particle size fraction definitions for health-related sampling
ISO 8655-1 Piston-operated volumetric apparatus — Part 1: Terminology, general requirements and user recommendations*, 2022-04-22 Update
ISO 8655-2 Piston-operated volumetric apparatus — Part 2: Pipettes*, 2022-04-22 Update
ISO 8655-5 Piston-operated volumetric apparatus — Part 5: Dispensers*, 2022-04-22 Update
ISO 8655-6 Piston-operated volumetric apparatus — Part 6: Gravimetric reference measurement procedure for the determination of volume*, 2022-04-22 Update
ISO 17733:2004 history
2015ISO 17733:2015 Workplace air - Determination of mercury and inorganic mercury compounds - Method by cold-vapour atomic absorption spectrometry or atomic fluorescence spectrometry
2004ISO 17733:2004 Workplace air - Determination of mercury and inorganic mercury compounds - Method by cold-vapour atomic absorption spectrometry or atomic fluorescence spectrometry