Complete mobile solution for emission monitoring of mercury

Emission of mercury from coal-fired power plants, waste incinerators and cement kilns is a global concern. With the signing of the Minamata Convention in 2013 and the introduction of LBI on mercury, the importance of accurate monitoring of mercury emissions has only increased. Precise monitoring of mercury in stack gases, especially at low concentrations (specifically at the 1µg/m3 level applied to the new power plants in Europe), is a challenging task due to the complex composition of exhaust gases and the requirements for continuous monitoring.

Lumex offers a complete cost-effective package for mercury monitoring in flue gases, which includes sorbent traps, asampling system for mercury collection on the traps, a direct Zeeman mercury analyser for analysis of sorbent traps, and measurement protocols. The solution is ideal for RATA for short-term monitoring, CEM performance verifications, diagnostic studies for mercury control technologies and as an alternative to the OntarioHydro method. The EN method is currently under development at CEN TC 264 Working Group 8.

The cost savings achieved by the use of the sorbent trap monitoring method is due not only to lower costs of equipment compared to other monitoring technologies but also due to drastic reduction of labor costs required to install, operate and maintain a sorbent trap system.

The setup, sampling and measurement procedure for the toolkit are very simple.

With the OLM30B dual-train sampling system a known volume of gas is pumped through the pair of sorbent traps at an appropriate flow rate. The OLM30B system weighs only around 20 kilograms, including the probe. It’s water-resistant, and thanks to mass flow controllers with a wide turn-down ratio, it provides a very steady flow rate. Due to its modular design, it is easily transportable and user-friendly.

The flow rate, pressure and temperature are precisely controlled during the sampling. After a preset period of sampling the traps are removed from the probe, and are either analysed on-site for mercury content with a Lumex Zeeman mercury analyser or sent to an accredited lab for analysis.

Thousands of analyses have been successfully performed with the sorbent traps from the market leader OhioLumex. A range of sorbent traps for various measurement conditions is available, and the traps may be spiked at the level specified by our customers to ensure the sampling and analysis quality. For improved monitoring and control over mercury removal processes at your plant, it is also possible to determine the portions of mercury in oxidized and elemental forms with the use of speciation 4-section traps. All the traps have individual numbers and are manufactured with strict quality control for all components and at all stages to assure reliable mercury measurement.

Analysis of the sorbent traps for mercury content is made simple with the use of Lumex Zeeman mercury analyzer RA-915M with attachment. The analysis of charcoal from the traps is carried out directly within a few minutes and enables quantification of mercury in a wide range (1-100.000 ng). The analyser is also portable which allows users to obtain test results in just a few of hours.

In combination, the package offers an excellent mobile tool for assessing and monitoring mercury emissions. Its reliability is proven by hundreds of successful installations worldwide: the method of the mercury monitoring using sorbent traps as been accredited in the US (US EPA 30B), China and several other countries for the last 10 years. The team of experienced stack testers at OhioLumex is always ready to help you with the monitoring services.

For more information, please visit our website at or contact us by email.