The Art of Analyzing Mercury in the Oil & Gas World | Biological Sample
Many authorities such as ACGIH, OSHA, NIOSH have set occupational exposure limits to protect the workers. Many companies, too, have established multi-tong approaches, including setting acceptance criteria for crude oil feedstock, processing plants design and engineering control, procedure control, decontamination of equipment together with safety measures such as suitable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and medical surveillance to assess the workers' long-term exposure better. ???????
In medical surveillance, biological samples such as hair, nail, blood, and urine are the best sample matrices to evaluate the workers' exposure to mercury. These samples can be analyzed directly by a direct mercury analyzer such as NIC MA-3000 or MA-3 Solo.?
Conventional Method for Analyzing Biological Samples for Medical Surveillance
Conventional methods such as wet chemical sample preparation (acid digestion) are used to extract mercury from said samples. The acidic extracted aliquot is further analyzed by Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (CVAAS).
Due to mercury's unique properties in an acidic environment, it tends to create memory effect, which in turn causes cross-contamination or carryover. Hence, it is challenging for many analysts to obtain accurate and precise results, which defeat the medical surveillance's objective. Moreover, the wet-chemical sample preparation is tedious, time-consuming and often involves the use of concentrated acids and reagents.
NIC MA Series Direct Mercury Analyzer puts your mind at ease for the above challenges. NIC MA Series employs the method of Direct Thermal Decomposition – Gold Amalgamation – Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (CVAAS).
5 Reasons why NIC MA Series Direct Mercury Analyzers are better
1.??????No Sample Preparation – Fast & Accurate Measurement Result
Forget about preparing the sample with a cocktail of acids and oxidizing agents. With NIC Direct Mercury Analyzer, you can directly analyze blood, hair, and urine samples. Three simple steps before analyzing the said sample:
a.??????Ensure sample homogeneity
b.??????Load in the suitable amount of sample
c.??????Choose a suitable method within the NIC MA3WIN Software
Let our MA Series perform wonders.
2.??????Minimal Handling Error – Accurate & Reliable Result, Report with Confidence
Handling error often occurs during the wet chemical sample preparation step. Since this step is eliminated here, the errors are reduced tremendously. Minimal handling error also means lesser downtime for maintenance and faster result turnaround time.
3.??????Autosampler of 100 Positions – Improve Your Laboratory's Productivity and Sample Result Turnaround Time
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One of the models in the MA series, MA-3000, offers high throughput of mercury analysis with its autosampler of 100 positions.
Laboratories no longer need to compromise with low turnaround times. Analysts could have loaded all the samples into the autosampler and left MA-3000 unattended, freeing more human resources for other tasks.
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With more than 40 years of experience in mercury analysis, you can count on us with our expertise and insight in mercury analysis. NIC began manufacturing direct mercury analyzers back in 1978 when our first model of Direct Mercury Analyzer was Model SP. Global customers found the Model SP successor MA-2 and SP-3D reliable, and hence, it has been trusted by thousands of laboratories worldwide ever since.
5.??????MA-3 Solo – Your perfect assistance in the oil and gas laboratory
Other than being able to analyze biological samples like hair, blood, and urine, MA-3 Solo is certified with UOP 938-20. MA-3 Solo can measure mercury in crude oil, naphtha, and condensate directly with impeccable results. No modifications are needed to achieve so.
Biological samples for medical surveillance should be analyzed accurately with minimum error to provide the oil and gas companies with better risk assessment. With an accurate estimate of the mercury situation within the processing plants and its impact on workers' safety and health, the hazards of mercury can be controlled and managed without affecting the operation, ensuring the operation sustainability and product stewardship eventually.?
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