In this study, a novel approach has been developed using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) for the simultaneous determination of Zn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II) in edible oils at hanging mercury drop electrode. The microwave digestion of oil samples was carried out with concentrated HNO3 and H2O2. KNO3 was used as a supporting electrolyte. The experimental conditions optimized such as deposition time, stirring rate and size of mercury drop were 300 s, 600 rpm and 10 mm2, respectively. The method was applied to quantify Zn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II) in crude and refined hazelnut, corn, sunflower and olive oils. During refining of different vegetable oils, the removal efficiencies of Zn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II) were calculated as 98.20-99.91, 98.50-99.90, 95.26-99.76 and 95.93-99.92 %, respectively. The limits of detection for Zn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II) were 2.1 × 10-8, 8.7 × 10-10, 7.1 × 10-9 and 3.4 × 10-9 and the limits of quantification were 6.8 × 10-8, 2.9 × 10-9, 2.3 × 10-8 and 1.1 × 10-8 M with linear regression coefficients (R 2) of 0.9930, 0.9928, 0.9893 and 0.9931, respectively. It was observed that the above metals in crude and refined vegetable oils could be determined simultaneously by the DPASV method. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.