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Continuous Emission Monitoring EN14181 - Quality and Quantity in Emissions Monitoring?
If you are an industrial process operator with an environmental permit, then you will be aware of the requirement to ensure that any continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMs) that are installed at emission points to air are functioning correctly. Five years ago a new European standard (BS EN 14181) was introduced to provide formal quality assurance procedures to be applied to CEMs on all processes falling under the Waste Incineration (WID) and Large Combustion Plant (LCPD) Directives. T...
SonTek’s Amazon Adventure RiverSurveyor M9 Tackles the World’s Largest Discharge
The Amazon River is a system so massive it nearly defies description. Draining a watershed bigger than Western Europe, the Amazon carries 52.2 million gallons per second to the Atlantic. That’s 209,000 cubic meters per second. It’s 7.38 million cfs. Nearly 16 times the average discharge of the Mississippi River. Enough to fill Lake Erie in less than a month. More fresh water flow than anywhere on earth. To a hydrologist, every aspect of measuring the Amazon is a challenge of the h...
Pesticides in Food for Example Tomatoes
Pesticides in the broader sense are considered all crop protection products and all other pesticides. More understandable for the “average Joe” are maybe the terms with the following examples: to combat blight on grape vines a crop protection product is used, and to combat worms in apples, pears or also the cankers in cabbage, a pesticide is used. Each analysis requires the provision of a representative sample from the entire sample amount. Therefore, as a rule larger amounts of...
A Comparison of Wet Digestion and Thermal Decomposition Techniques
Mercury is widely recognized as a persistent, bio-accumulative, and toxic pollutant (PBT). There are numerous sources of mercury from both natural and anthropogenic activities; however, amongst all the human activities releasing mercury, the burning of coal is far and away the most significant source. As governments work to control and minimize the environmental burden of mercury emissions from smoke stacks, more efficient, and costly, abatement techniques will be employed. Because mercury i...
Analytica 2010 off to a Good Start: World’s Leading Trade Fair More International than Ever
When it comes to the business climate in 2009, manufacturers of analysis technology, laboratory technology and biotechnology appear to have regained their confidence. That is also reflected by the status of registrations for analytica 2010, the industry’s leading international trade fair. More than 660 exhibitors have already submitted binding applications to participate in the fair, which corresponds to the number of registrations received at this same point before the 2008 fair. The s...
Automated Liner Exchange for GC injectors
The GERSTEL Automated Liner EXchange (ALEX) enables routine GC analysis of samples containing large amounts of matrix or other solid residue. After several injections, matrix material deposited in the GC inlet leads to adsorption and loss of active analytes, such as pesticides. ALEX replaces the GERSTEL CIS inlet liner at user-defined intervals, eliminating the need for time-consuming clean-up steps during sample preparation. Sample clean-up steps needed to prepare environmental or food samp...
Airborne Hazards From Gases, Vapours and Dusts
Air sampling is relevant to almost every industry, from flour dust exposure in a bakery to chemical vapour exposure in a factory. Air Sampling is a vital method of protecting workers from these potential hazards. By consistently measuring the concentration of airborne contaminants workers are exposed to, steps can be taken to ensure that they remain at a safe level, preventing chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and pulmonary fibrosis.
The 9th CEM 2009, Italy - Another Resounding Success
CEM, the International Conference on Emissions Monitoring, has grown in strength and popularity since its inaugural meeting in 1997. CEM 2009 has continued this position as the major international conference and exhibition specifically designed to cover the subject of source emissions monitoring in its entirety. The current calm in the pollution monitoring industry belies the challenges ahead. Requirements for reducing the emissions of air pollution have been evolving since middle of the 2...
Dairy Crest Puts Emphasis on Environmental Credentials
Throughout the food and beverage industries, there is a constant requirement to monitor and control wastewater and effluent before discharge from the plant in order to comply with environmental regulations. In addition to this, process plants must also recognise that unless close control is exercised over all stages of waste treatment, the process itself can become ineffective. At the Dairy Crest Davidstow cheese processing plant in Cornwall, considerable ffort is made to ensure that all w...
Soil Gas Monitoring - The Current State of the Art
Soil gas investigations have become a key tool in evaluating the extent of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) contamination in soil and groundwater. This is used to ascertain the extent of contamination as well as to evaluate the remediation progress. VOC concentration measurements also reveal subsurface migration of chemicals as pathways to indoor air vapor intrusion. Soil gas is collected using sampling probes of various lengths to extract vapors at specific depths using evacuated canist...
The Finest Digester Power
It’s amazing how much technology is involved in delivering the humble tomato to the Great British Public’s salad bowl. A fact that Hitech Instruments recently discovered when asked to supply a solution for monitoring biogas on a new, anaerobic digester (AD) system, designed by Biotech Services and supplied to A. Pearson and Sons, a UK tomato grower for a major UK supermarket. A. Pearson and Sons currently have 5.2 hectares of glass houses at their Alderley Edge site which prod...
Improving quality in Air Emission Monitoring - MCERTS
The Source Testing Association (STA), www.s-t-a.org , the UK trade association representing equipment suppliers, test houses, operators and regulators, &nbs...
Flow Metering – Where Non-Contact Really is Proving to be ‘No-Maintenance
Although open channel flow meters have existed for 100’s of years none were able to offer the promise of zero maintenance and long term reliability, combined with ease of installation and use. Since its introduction in 1999 the Flo-Dar instrument from Flowline has remained the only non-contact area velocity flowmeter available and has now evolved into several different systems that cover a wide range of applications and industries. Initially developed and manufactured in the USA and...
Emerson Smart Wireless Transmitters Monitor River Water Temperatures at Lenzing Fibers
Emerson’s Smart Wireless Rosemount® transmitters monitor temperatures of water extracted from and returned to the local river. Emerson Process Management has successfully applied its Smart Wireless solution to monitor river water temperatures at the Lenzing Fibers mill in Heiligenkreuz, Austria. Installation of the wireless temperature transmitters provides a cost effective and highly reliable solution for the company to meet government environmental regulations related to the te...
Memosens: the Digital Revolution in pH Measurement
Today, the use of analytical measurement technology is vital in providing process, product quality and productivity information. pH measurement in particular provides significant data related to these factors and often to a higher degree than other controlled variables. &nbs...
Categories of Particulate Emission Monitoring used by Industrial Processes for Regulatory Compliance and Arrestment Plant Control
Requirements for different types of particulate emission monitoring has evolved over the past 20 years to satisfy three important trends: 1) The increasing importance and variety of type approvals and certification schemes such as MCERTS and TUV. 2) The application of BAT (best available technology) to monitoring approaches which means that feedback on particulate filter condition is required in certain processes while absolute measurement is required in others. 3) The wide adoption of bag...
Evolution of Air Pollution Monitoring From a System for Experts to an Individual Source of Information for Everybody
Besides remote transport of pollutants, air pollution is caused by a multitude of local temporally fluctuating sources. The knowledge of the current pollution situation on a small scale is necessary for people´s health protection. To meet this requirement and considering the capability of micro-scale models, a higher number of measuring stations with intelligent concepts have to be set up. There is a trend towards miniaturisation of measuring stations comparable to that of computer t...
Mercury CEM for Stack Gas Monitoring
Mercury is a naturally occurring heavy metal. At ambient temperature and pressure, it is a silvery-white liquid that readily vaporizes and may stay in the atmosphere for up to a year. &n...
Determination of Total Mercury in Ambient Air using Amalgamation with Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry
Accurate air quality measurements for total gaseous mercury (TGM) are required to monitor the exposure of the general population, assess legislative compliance limits and to provide information to the general public. Mercury is recognised as an important pollutant because of its detrimental effects on human health. Coal-burning power plants are the largest anthropogenic source of mercury emissions to the air.
Determination of Total Mercury in Ambient Air using Amalgamation with Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry
Accurate air quality measurements for total gaseous mercury (TGM) are required to monitor the exposure of the general population, assess legislative compliance limits and to provide information to the general public. Mercury is recognised as an important pollutant because of its detrimental effects on human health. Coal-burning power plants are the largest anthropogenic source of mercury emissions to the air.
Protection by Detection – Industrial Flame Detectors
Protection of high risk, valuable assets and personnel has never been more vital. Such installations include oil & gas plant (onshore & offshore), petrochemical plant, hazardous material handling and storage, etc. Today’s industrial installations are protected by a wide array of detection, monitoring, gauging and preventative devices and systems.
Remembering the Founding Generation of Today’s Gas Detection Industry
July 2009 will be remembered as a sad, yet memorable month for the gas detection industry in the UK. Two founders of this industry both passed away in the same weekend. Paul Gotley founded Neotronics in the early ‘70s, the largest UK gas detector company. Tony Tantram founded City Technology in the mid ‘70s, the largest UK gas sensor company. Both men had the foresight to invest knowledge, acumen and financial resources to develop the UK gas sensor market, and each has their own...
Data Acquisition and Handling System for CDM/JI Projects
The Kyoto Protocol introduced two projectbased mechanisms: the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI). These instruments were designed to lower the overall cost of participating countries in meeting their domestic emission reduction targets and to help developing countries and countries in transition in their sustainable development by encouraging technology transfer. This will focus on the CDM as laid out in Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol. The CDM grant...
Global CO2 Emissions: Annual Increase Halved in 2008
Very high oil prices up to the summer of 2008, together with a worldwide financial crisis have caused a halving of the annual increase in global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from consumption of oil, coal and gas, and from cement production. Emissions increased by 1.7% in 2008, against 3.3% in 2007. Since 2002, the average annual increase was almost 4%. In addition to high oil prices and the financial crisis, the increased use of new renewable energy sources, such as biofuels for roa...
Standards and Methods for Environmental Monitoring in the UKSelection of Standards for Emission Monitoring
The Source Testing Association (STA) was established in 1995 and has a corporate membership of over 200 companies from process operators, regulators, equipment suppliers and test laboratories. The STA is a non-profit making organisation.
A Picture of Health:Workplaces that are Bad for your Health are Bad for your Business
It is now well recognised that occupational disease is the biggest cause of work-related deaths in the UK and that thousands of people suffer from the results of an occupational disease each year. Occupational exposure to hazardous substances, noise and vibration can lead to long-term, disabling health problems, and in the worst cases can result in fatalities. Asbestos related deaths are the highest in the UK, along with occupational cancer, and other lung diseases are also towards...
A Review of Methodologies Used to Continuously Monitor Particulate Emissions In Wet Stacks
Industrial plant operators in Europe, US and other industrialised countries are increasingly interested to continuously monitor stack emissions. This serves the double purpose of proving that a plant?s emissions are below agreed emission limits and also giving the plant operator feedback on the performance of arrestment plant, so that fault conditions can be quickly detected and hence emissions minimised. Wet stacks, which are categorised as those in which there are water droplets...
A Discussion on Pellistor Gas Sensor Responses
Pellistor gas sensors have been used for several decades to monitor the presence of combustible gases. They provide a measure of the combustibility of the environment in which they are placed and are capable of detecting almost all combustible gases within their explosive ranges. Pellistors are used worldwide in all major applications requiring detection of explosive gas levels. This article discusses the science behind the pellistor response, why different gases respond by differi...
MCerts 2009 to Focus on Operator Self-Monitoring
Presentations at the MCERTS 2009 Conference (29 and 30th April, at the Bretby Conference Centre near Burton on Trent) will focus on issues relating to the testing and monitoring of air quality in stack emissions, with particular emphasis on how Operator Self Monitoring (OSM) and MCERTS fit into the Environment Agency\'s \'Better Regulation\' agenda. High profile speakers from the Environment Agency, NPL, UKAS and AEAT will speak on subjects including emissions trading, the Environment A...
Autonomous Road Weather Systems - A Cost-effective Way to Increase Monitoring Points on a Road Network
Accurate weather information plays an important role in road trafficmanagement allowing operators to warn drivers of poor conditions, and take precautionary actions such as reducing speed limits or gritting roads. For road weather a combination of forecast information and empirical data collected from roadside outstations is used to anticipate potential problems which might affect road safety or traffic flow. Forecasts have improved over the years but they are still not 100% reliab...
ACHEMA 2009 Stays on the Road to Success
ACHEMA 2009 from May 11th - 15th in Frankfurt am Main is still on the road to success. So far the econonomical situation has had no consequences for the leading worldwide event of the process industries. \"We assume that ACHEMA 2009 will be even a bit larger than ACHEMA 2006\", said Prof. Dr. Gerhard Kreysa, CEO of DECHEMA and organizer of ACHEMA, on the occasion of a press meeting on January 27th in Frankfurt. Exhibitors continue to show a high level of interest. \"We notice the asp...
In Control of Nitrification and Denitrification with Continuous Ammonium and Nitrate Measurement
Endress+Hauser\'s new ISEmax CAS40/CAM40 system for measuring ammonium and nitrate is based on potentiometric measurement with ion-selective electrodes. It makes the processes of nitrification and denitrification transparent particularly in the area of wastewater treatment. It also visibly reduces the costs for power used in aeration systems.
The Importance of Maintaining Training Through the Credit Crunch
The current financial climate is causing headaches for many UK and global organisations, and it looks as though the UK economy could be in for a rough ride for the foreseeable future. The credit crunch appears to be tightening its grip, inflation is rising sharply, fuel and other costs are spiralling, and business confidence faltering.
South Wales Land Reclamation Scheme Employs MCerts Approved Monitors for Suspended Solids
On the hills above Merthyr Tydfil, Miller Argent is undertaking a highly ambitious land reclamation scheme that is also involving the extraction of coal by surface mining methods. Known as the \'Ffos-y-fran Land Reclamation Scheme\', this is the third and final phase of the East Merthyr Reclamation Scheme which is expected to run for approximately 17 years. The reclamation works will include the removal of known shafts and adits all previously associated with the historic iron ore...
The Fundamental Contribution of Noise Measurement Networks
An Urban Community is a local, intermunicipal government institution, regrouping cities over a large territory. Every year, its technical department carries out numerous studies and measurements dealing with the traffic of roads that constitute its network, in order to feed impact studies on urban planning projects. In order to meet the many demands of elected representatives, citizens and technical specialists regarding the noise issue, local authorities can deploy an extended long...
MCerts 2009 Continues to Grow and Grow
Visitor numbers for this year\'s MCERTS air monitoring event grew by 10% in comparison with the 2007 figures. Expressing his delight with the success of the event, MCERTS organiser Dave Curtis from the Source Testing Association (STA) said, \"Prior to the event we were concerned that visitor numbers might be reduced as a result of the recession, so it was very pleasing to note that delegate numbers have continued to grow.\"
Oxygen Measurement Technologies in the Brewing Industry
As all major oxygen analyser suppliers have released an improved version of their existing products or launched a new product based on optical technology over the past 2 years, we thought it would be an appropriate time to review the existing technologies from a critical and objective viewpoint. Based on the oxygen measurement experience amassed by ORBISPHERE over 40 years in the brewing industry, and in both amperometric and optical technologies, we have evaluated the advantages...
Rapid On-Site Analysis of Fats, Oil and Grease (FOG)
Accumulations of fats, oil and grease (FOG) in the sewer line can cause sanitary sewer overflows (SSO) and impact our waterways. The Clean Water Act, which has now been governing water pollution for over 30 years, initially targeted ?point source? polluters such as industrial facilities, service industries or agricultural animal feedlots.
Using ICP Instrumentation for Fast and Accurate Determination of Trace and Major Metallic and Elemental Components in Drinking Water Samples
The availability of clean and safe water, free from dangerous chemicals and contaminants is imperative for the health and safety of the public. Increased concerns about water quality due to over-use, climate change and pollution have highlighted the importance of drinking water quality. In the UK, all water supplied to the public must be monitored to ensure strict compliance with water quality guidelines set out by the British Government. It is therefore crucial to analyse water sa...
Is it Worthwhile to Measure the Sludge Level During Primary Treatment?
Using measurements of the sludge level and the dried solid content, the removal of primary sludge from the primary settlement tanks can be optimised to suit the hydraulic and weather-related conditions. Load-related removal facilitates more balanced charging of the digester and a more constant rate of gas production for downstream block-type thermal power stations (BTPS). If neither pre-thickeners nor mechanical pre-thickening are used, the volume of sludge can be significantly red...
Miniature Pump Solutions for Gas Analysers
When developing a gas analysis device choosing the right sensor and additional measurement components is often the main focus. If reliance upon diffusion of the media over the gas sensor is not sufficient active air sampling is needed and hence the method of media transportation is of more importance. Miniature pumps play a critical role since selecting the optimal pump principle can significantly contribute to the accuracy and function of the entire system. The determination of pn...
Eye Contact is more than Enough: The new GM32 Analyses Corrosive Gases Direct Inside the Duct. Tested to EU Standards.
In emission monitoring sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are the tricky candidates to measure. The focus of SICK?s new GM32 in-situ gas analyser, however, is not just on these measurements. The analyser also takes on a key role in process gas monitoring, additionally measuring ammonia in raw and scrubbed gas. The quick and precise measurements enable optimum regulation of flue gas scrubbers even when there are high levels of dust. The GM32 fulfills high demands in terms of measur...
In Control of Nitrification and Denitrification with Continuous Ammonium and Nitrate Measurement
Endress+Hauser\'s new ISEmax CAS40/CAM40 system for measuring ammonium and nitrate is based on potentiometric measurement with ion-selective electrodes. It makes the processes of nitrification and denitrification transparent particularly in the area of wastewater treatment. It also visibly reduces the costs for power used in aeration systems.
Optics Breathe New Life into Oxygen Sensing: Sol-Gel Chemistry, Combined with Optical Fibre, Offers a Novel Approach to Measuring Dissolved Oxygen and pH Levels with Many Promising new Applications
Advances in high-performance sensor materials and optoelectronics have enabled novel optical sensors for use in a diverse array of markets including the life sciences, environmental, food and beverage, process control, and aviation. Compared to traditional electrochemical sensing techniques such as galvanic, paramagnetic, and fuel cell sensors, these optical sensors (sometimes called \"optrodes,\" as in optical electrodes) can be made in small, customizable form factors. They also...
Environmental Management Elements of The Electric Arc Furnace
The paper presents a theoretical and experimental analysis of the polluting generating mechanisms for steel making in the Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF). The scheme for the environment?s polluting system through the EAF is designed and presented in this paper. The ecological experimenting consisted of determining by specialised measures of the dust percentage in the evacuated gases from the EAF and of thereof gas pollutants. From the point of view of reducing the impact on the environ...
New Demands for Gas Sensing - Yes we can.
Customer perception of electronics is changing rapidly. Smaller, more intuitive and intelligent handheld devices are becoming the norm. Integrated GPS and GPRS technologies are now expected, but add chemical sensors and the profile changes.
MCERTS Schemes a Review of 2008
The various Environment Agency Schemes have been rolled out over the last 10 years and include the following; ? Continuous emissions monitoring systems ? Manual stack emission monitoring ? Automatic Isokinetic Samplers ? Portable systems for air emissions monitoring ? Continuous ambient air quality monitoring systems ? Continuous water monitoring equipment ? Portable water monitoring equipment ? Self-Monitoring of effluent flow ? Chemical testing of soils
Intermittent Control System Based on NH4 + NO3 + O2
Maximum operational reliability and degradation efficiency are assured in Rhede (NRW, Germany) by a combination of a nitrate probe and an ammonium electrode. Together they regulate nitrogen elimination in the intermittently aerated B stage of an A-B plant. The sewage treatment plant has to deal with industrial wastewater, and therefore has a high-load. A stage, after which reliable monitoring of this relevant nitrogen parameter is required. Consistently low outflow values can only...
Unique Technology for Monitoring Piped Water
Intellitect Water has launched a unique, highly innovative drinking water monitoring technology that will revolutionise the delivery of drinking water. The new technology monitors the quality of water in pipeline distribution networks and for the first time provides reliable data to protect the integrity of the water quality, to enhance customer satisfaction and to improve operational efficiency. Highlighting the importance of this new development, Intellitect Water Chairman (and f...
Stepping on the Gas; a World of Applications for Gas Calibration Standards
Experts and companies from all over the world in the field of gas measurement, calibration gas mixtures and analysing equipment will gather in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on 11 to 13 February 2009 for the Fifth International Gas Analysis Symposium and Exhibition, GAS2009.