Analysis of Soils and Sediments for Loss on Ignition

The following standard operating procedure (SOP) describes the analysis of soils and sediments for loss on ignition (LOI) by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Mercury Research Laboratory (MRL). Sample is weighed into aluminum boats and heated to 550°C for two hours. The percent of sample mass lost following heating is reported as LOI. One sample out of every 14 analyzed is weighed in triplicate to assess method precision.

Mercury Research Laboratory, 2016