Mercury in Crematoria Using Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry - Warren T Corns, Matthew A Dexter and Peter B Stockwell

Anthropogenic emission of mercury into the environment continues to cause concern. Increasing control of atmospheric mercury emissions is resulting in the gradual overall fall in mercury emissions. UK annual mercury emissions are estimated to have fallen from 40.7 t to 6.9 t between 1982 and 2002.1 In contrast to the overall fall, mercury emissions from crematoria have increased significantly. One
estimate shows annual mercury emissions from UK crematoria more than doubling from 0.36 t to 0.82 t between 1982 and 2002 with little change in the number of cremations performed.2 The increase in emissions is readily attributable to the use of amalgam fillings and, due to better dental health, a large decrease in the number of people edentate at the time of death. Estimates of the mass of mercury present in an average cremation vary significantly, with estimates generally between 0.9 g and 3.0 g.2. The mass present depends on dental health practices, thus varying with time period and with country.

Mercury emissions during the cremation process are almost entirely due to the presence of amalgam fillings in the cadaver. This leads to very significant variation in the concentration of mercury emitted, in each cremation. The P S Analytical Sir Galahad amalgamation-atomic fluorescence spectrometer is a proven technique for the determination of mercury in a wide range of gaseous media. This article summarizes the results of a study of mercury emissions on a single crematory stack at a UK crematorium and introduces a Hg CEM, specifically designed to continuously monitor mercury concentrations in cremation gases for regulatory purposes or online process control of mercury abatement equipment.