1997 Performance Testing of Multi-Metal Continuous Emissions Monitors
Five prototype and two commercially available multi-metals continuous emissions monitors (CEMs) were tested in September 1997 at the Rotary Kiln Incinerator Simulator facility at the EPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The seven CEMs were tested side by side in a long section of duct following the secondary combustion chamber of the RKIS. Two different concentrations of six toxic metals were introduced into the incinerator-approximately 15 and 75 µg/dscm of arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury (We also tested for antimony but we are not reporting on it here because EPA recently dropped antimony from the list of metals addressed by the draft MACT rule). These concentrations were chosen to be close to emission standards in the draft MACT rule and the estimated Method Detection Limit (MDL) required of a CEM for regulatory compliance purposes. Results from this test show that no CEMs currently meet the performance specifications in the EPA draft MACT rule for hazardous waste incinerators. Only one of the CEMs tested was able to measure all six metals at the concentrations tested. Even so, the relative accuracy of this CEM varied between 35% and 100%, not 20% or less as required in the EPA performance specification. As a result, we conclude that no CEM is ready for long-term performance validation for compliance monitoring applications. Because sampling and measuring Hg is a recurring problem for multi-metal CEMs as well as Hg CEMs, we recommended that developers participate in a 1998 DOE-sponsored workshop to solve these and other common CEM measurement issues.
- Research Organization:
- Ames Laboratory (AMES), Ames, IA; Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), Idaho Falls, ID; Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC), Aiken, SC
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-94ID13223
- OSTI ID:
- 5735
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ID-10665(98); ON: DE00005735
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
57 HEALTH AND SAFETY
Arsenic
Beryllium
Cadmium
Chromium
EPA
Lead
MACT
Mercury
Method Detection Limit
arsenic
beryllium
cadmium
chromium
compliance monitoring applications
emissions standards
hazardous waste incinerators
incinerator
lead
mercury
multi-metals continuous emissions monitors (CEMs)
performance specifications
secondary combustion chamber
toxic metals