Grantee Research Project Results
A Continuous Emission Monitoring Device for Airborne Metals
EPA Contract Number: 68D40029Title: A Continuous Emission Monitoring Device for Airborne Metals
Investigators: Poulos, Arthur T.
Small Business: Poulos Technical Services Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 1994 through March 1, 1995
Project Amount: $55,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (1994) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , SBIR - Monitoring , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
Airborne Toxic metals and metal compounds are produced in fuel and waste combustion and in various industrial processes. Of particular concern are emissions of toxic high vapor pressure compounds, such as metal alkyls, metal carbonyls, CrO2Cl2, and chlorides of Hg, AS, Sn, Sb, and V. The development of cost-effective, real-time monitoring devices for airborne metals would constitute a real victory for regulatory compliance and industrial process control. This proposal offers a general device design for gas phase detection of volatile metal compounds. It utilizes photo-fragment fluorescence spectroscopy in a novel cost-effective optical configuration. Unlike existing methods, this concept offers capability of rapid response, real-time and in-situ monitoring capability. And because it is a spectroscopic technique, it will also be effective for non-intrusive and direct monitoring in harsh environments. In Phase I, bench scale tests will be conducted on simulated waste combustion streams. Issues to be addressed will include speciation, sensitivity, linearity, and interferences. This data will also be used for first-generation design of optical hardware. If adequate sensitivity and speciation are proven, Phase II/III development will lead to a compact, rugged, cost-effective, and portable toxic metals detector.Supplemental Keywords:
Airborne Metals, Optical Diagnostics, Photo-Fragment Fluorescence, Incineration, Combustion., RFA, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Air, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Chemistry and Materials Science, Incineration/Combustion, Monitoring/Modeling, air toxics, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Monitoring, airborne metals, metal chloride compounds, incineration, real time monitoring, waste combustion, metal vapor emissions, monitoring, metallic emissions, metal carbonyls, continuous emissions monitoring, fluorescence detection, continuous monitoring, metals, metal compounds, photo-fragment fluoresence, metal alkylsProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.