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Determination of mercury emissions from a municipal incinerator

Journal Article · · Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00084a006· OSTI ID:6724737
A cold-vapor atomic absorption system is described for the determination of volatile mercury in the stack gases of a municipal solid-waste incinerator. The gases are washed in a K/sub 2/CR/sub 2/O/sub 7//HNO/sub 3/ solution. By oxidation of the mercury in the washing bottle, a 99% collection efficiency is obtained. Total collection is guaranteed by adding a gold-coated sand absorber to the sampling train. After sampling, aliquots of the diluted absorbing solution are analyzed according to the reduction-aeration method with SnC/sub 12/. The released mercury is concentrated on a gold absorber. After thermal desorption from the gold, the mercury is measured in a modified atomic absorption spectrometer. The detection limit of the combined method is 1 ng. Calibration is achieved by injection of elemental mercury onto the gold. Generally, the reproducibility is better than 3%. The mercury concentrations found vary from 121 to 163 mu g of Hg per cubic metre of flue gas.
Research Organization:
Inst for Nuclear Sciences, Rijksuniversiteit Gent, Proeftuinstraat 86, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
OSTI ID:
6724737
Journal Information:
Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 15:2; ISSN ESTHA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English