Grantee Research Project Results
Development of an Ultra Sensitive Continuous Monitor for Mercury and Other Trace Metals in Flue Gas
EPA Contract Number: 68D50092Title: Development of an Ultra Sensitive Continuous Monitor for Mercury and Other Trace Metals in Flue Gas
Investigators: McNeill, Donald H.
Small Business: EEI
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 1995 through March 1, 1996
Project Amount: $65,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (1995) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , SBIR - Monitoring , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
The Clean Air Act of 1990 has raised the concern over low trance concentrations of metals in flue gas from electrical generation plants, municipal waste incinerators, and heavy industry plants. Monitoring will be required to determine the extent of the environmental impact and offers an opportunity to empirically minimize it. Here EEI proposes the development of an ultra sensitive continuous monitor for mercury and other trance elements (e.g., Pb, AS, CD, etc.). The monitor is based upon plasma emission spectroscopy using an innovative microwave-driven plasma source. The plasma source is capable of obtaining electron energies ? 2 eV which will result in a minimum detection limit for mercury ? 0.1 ppb ? 1 g/M3. This is an order of magnitude more sensitive than presently available technologies, and is anticipated to meet monitoring requirements.Supplemental Keywords:
small business, SBIR, air emissions, engineering, chemistry., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Toxics, Air, Waste, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, air toxics, Environmental Chemistry, Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Monitoring/Modeling, Environmental Monitoring, Atmospheric Sciences, 33/50, Environmental Engineering, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, Incineration/Combustion, ambient air quality, emission control strategies, combustion byproducts, air quality standards, cadmium & cadmium compounds, air pollutants, mercury, ambient particle properties, industrial waste, compliance monitoring, combustion gas streams, contaminant transport, emission control technologies, flue gas monitor, lead & lead compounds, continuous monitoring, industrial emissions, flue gas, air pollution, compliance, electric generation plants, air sampling, ambient emissions, Clean Air Act , combustion technology, industrial air pollution, complinace monitoring, municipal waste incineration, municipal waste combustion, mercury monitoring, Clean Air Act, continuous emissions monitoring, mercury & mercury compounds, flue gas emissions, combustion, trace metals, cadmium, incineration, emissions contol engineering, atmospheric chemistry, aerosol analyzers, air quality, clean combustionProgress and Final Reports:
SBIR Phase II:
Development of an Ultra Sensitive Continuous Monitor for Mercury and Other Trace Metals in Flue GasThe 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.