Measurement of total site mercury emissions from a chlor-alkali plant using ultraviolet differential optical absorption spectroscopy and cell room roof-vent monitoring

Thoma, Eben D.; Secrest, Cary D.; Hall, Eric S.; Jones, Donna Lee; Shores, Richard C.; Modrak, Mark; Hashmonay, Ram A.; Norwood, Phil

doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.10.032

Cited by 13 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…In an ideal scenario, fence-line monitors would be placed so that any fugitive plume originating within the facility would have a high probability of intersecting one or more sensors, regardless of wind direction. Sufficient measurement coverage can be accomplished using a few open-path instruments [1][2][3][4][5][6] or through deployment of a larger number of point monitors. With either approach, applications that require high detection sensitivity, chemical speciation, and fast time response demand laboratoryclass instrumentation, which comes with significant capital and operational cost.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facility Fence-Line Monitoring Using Passive Samplers

Thoma

Miller

Chung

et al. 2011

Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association

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In 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) executed a year-long field study at a refinery in Corpus Christi, TX, to evaluate the use of passive diffusive sampling technology for assessing time-averaged benzene concentrations at the facility fence line. The purpose of the study was to investigate the implementation viability and performance of this type of monitoring in a real-world setting as part of EPA's fence-line measurement research program. The study utilized 14-day, time-integrated Carbopack X samplers deployed at 18 locations on the fence line and at two nearby air monitoring sites equipped with automated gas chromatographs. The average fence-line benzene concentration during the study was 1075 parts per trillion by volume (pptv) with a standard deviation of 1935 pptv. For a 6-month period during which wind direction was uniform, the mean concentration value for a group of downwind sites exceeded the mean value of a similar upwind group by 1710 pptv. Mean value differences for these groups were not statistically significant for the remaining 6-month time period when wind directions were mixed. The passive sampling approach exhibited acceptable performance with a data completeness value of 97.1% (n ϭ 579). Benzene concentration comparisons with automated gas chromatographs yielded an r 2 value of 0.86 and a slope of 0.90 (n ϭ 50). A linear regression of duplicate pairs yielded an r 2 of 0.97, unity slope, and zero intercept (n ϭ 56). In addition to descriptions of technique performance and general results, time-series analyses are described, providing insight into the utility of 2-week sampling for source apportionment under differing meteorological conditions. The limitations of the approach and recommendations for future measurement method development work are also discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facility Fence-Line Monitoring Using Passive Samplers

Thoma

Miller

Chung

et al. 2011

Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association

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“…The situation is quite different in strongly polluted areas, where the oxygen interference becomes more tractable. Measurements with the DOAS technique at chlor-alkali plants with strong mercury emissions are described in [56].…”

Section: Long-path Optical Absorptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring Atmospheric Atomic Mercury by Optical Techniques

Svanberg

2023

Atmosphere

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Mercury is a serious neurotoxic agent, and the control and monitoring of emissions are important. Optical spectroscopy is a powerful technique for measurement of mercury, which in the atmosphere predominantly appears in atomic form. The mercury resonance line close to 254 nm can be utilized in long-path absorption measurements of average concentrations or in light detection and ranging (lidar) studies, where range-resolved concentration values can be obtained. In addition, point monitors often use optical detection, frequently after pre-concentration, as well as for mercury compounds in conjunction with denuders, which transfer the compounds into atomic mercury. The present review discusses mercury measurement methods with respect to merits and sensitivity to interference. The main focus is on remote-sensing techniques, and many examples from industrial and mining monitoring are given. Further, mercury emissions related to the extraction of geothermal energy are discussed. Finally, an example from archaeology—the Qin tomb in Xi’an—is presented. Advanced measurement techniques can help in shaping an environment largely free from mercury contamination. Further, the aspect of mercury being an important geophysical tracer gas can also be exploited.

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“…This type of plant may continuously release Hg to the surrounding environment (water, soil, and air) not only during the production process but also after its operations are seized [7,14,16,19,20]. Numerous studies have assessed the impact of Hg emissions resulting from the use of the Hg-cell technique in operations of CAPs worldwide [7,14,16,19,20]; some of these studies have focused on atmospheric Hg emissions [21][22][23]. Most of these assessments reported elevated Hg concentrations in multiple compartments violating local regulations and posing significant health risks to the population near the CAPs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%