This part of ISO 16145 describes the characteristics of an automated measuring method by using a conductivity meter for the assessment of the total surface density of various water-soluble salts on steel surfaces prior to coating applications for dedicated sea water ballast tanks, void spaces of bulk carriers and oil tankers, and cargo oil tanks of crude tankers in compliance with PSPC stipulated by IMO Res.MSC.215(82), IMO Res.MSC.244(83), and IMO Res.MSC.288(87). This method describes a procedure for rapid evaluation of the surface of steel for the presence of ionic contamination by determining the total concentration of water-soluble ionic contaminants by means of a conductivity test. This method may be equivalent to ISO 8502-9:1998. NOTE 1 The individual surface densities of chlorides, sulphates, etc. cannot be determined by this method. This method assesses ionic contaminants only. These represent the greater part of the contamination. The ionic contaminants are thus considered as one single contaminant. NOTE 2 This method is used as an alternative measurement method for PSPC when demonstrated to comply with NACE SP0508:2010 as described in the footnote of PSPC regarding seawater ballast tanks in all types of ships and double-side skin spaces of bulk carriers and cargo oil tanks.