• Method adopted/last revised: 2011
• Method reapproved: None
• REF/ISBN: IP592-2935996
• Status: Current
• First printed in STM books: January 2011

Scope

This standard specifies a method for the determination of the concentration of lead, nickel, chromium, copper, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, thallium, antimony, cobalt, manganese and vanadium present in burner fuels derived from waste mineral oils, by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS).

Element      Range mg/kg
Vanadium    1-6
Nickel         1-6
Zinc            20-900
Lead           1-50
Cadmium    1-6
Antimony    1-6
Thallium      1-6
Manganese 1-20
Arsenic       1-6
Cobalt         1-6
Chromium    1-6
Copper        3-70

NOTE 1 — For the purposes of this standard, the terms “% (m/m)” and “% (V/V)” are used to represent respectively the mass fraction and the volume fraction.

NOTE 2 — This procedure presents concentrations of elements and internal standards to the instrument generally in the 1 ng/g to 50 ng/g range. Both higher and lower concentrations of elements in samples can be measured by this method. The low concentration limits are dependent on the sensitivity of the ICPMS instrument, the dilution factor and the cleanliness of the reagents and equipment used for the sample digestion. The high concentration limits are determined by the product of the maximum concentration of analyte used for the calibration, and the sample dilution factor.

Note 3 — The description of waste mineral oils that are acceptable inputs for the production of Processed Fuel Oil is given in Appendix B of the Environment Agency’s Quality Protocol for Processed Fuel Oil.