Mercury

Location:  Group 12, Period 6
Atomic Weight:  200.59
Coordination Number:  4
Chemical Form in Solution:  Hg(OH)(aq)¹⁺

Storage & Handling:  Keep tightly sealed when not in use. Store and use at 20 ± 4°C. Do not pipet from container. Do not return portions removed for pipetting to container.

Chemical Compatibility:  Stable in HNO₃. Avoid basic media forming insoluble carbonate. The sulfide, basic carbonate, oxalate, phosphate, arsenite, arsenate, and iodide are insoluble in water.

Stability:  2-100 ppb levels - stable in 10% HNO₃ packaged in borosilicate glass; NOT stable in 1% HNO₃ / LDPE container. 1-100 ppm levels stable in 7% HNO₃ packaged in borosilicate glass. 1000-10,000 ppm solutions are chemically stable for years in 5-10% HNO₃ / LDPE container.

Hg Containing Samples (Preparation & Solution):  Metal (soluble in HNO₃); HgO (soluble in HNO₃); Ores and Organic based (our documentation has more references to the preparation of Hg containing samples than any other element -- because these preparations are prone to error, we recommend you contact our technical staff at ivtech@ivstandards.com or (800) 569-6799 and we'll provide you with the necessary data for your specific sample type).