Precise and dependable mercury analysis in ambient air for workroom and stack gas applications

Monitoring mercury levels in ambient air is a crucial component of environmental protection, yet its widespread implementation has been fettered by the limited amount of global monitoring sites. PS Analytical provide an innovative approach to this problem, they use gold on silica Amasil adsorption tubes, which are designed for pumped mercury vapour sampling as passive samplers; this provides a  cost-effective solution, that is both user-friendly and maintenance-free. The tubes are sent on to a centralised laboratory where they undergo thermal desorption and Atomic Fluorescence Spectroscopy (AFS) analysis. The sampling tubes can then be redeployed for further use.

To monitor workroom air effectively, a different sampling approach is needed because of the possibility of encountering elevated concentrations of mercury vapour in localised zones, such as during mercury recovery/recycling or manufacturing procedures. Real-time data is essential to safeguard workers from potential exposure to mercury vapour. To address this concern, PSA uses a method whereby workroom air is pumped to a central AFS instrument. This approach enables multi-stream monitoring of various rooms or areas, enabling prompt detection of breaches in set limits with early warning alarms.

Stack gas monitoring is typically performed for the purpose of emission compliance and; examples of the industries affected are coal fired power stations, cement manufacturing plants and smelting operations among others. For such applications, a coated sample probe extracts a volume of stack gas, dilutes it, then removes interference before passing it on to the AFS for accurate analysis.

AFS is at the heart of PS Analytical’s analytical technology, providing end users with superb performance in terms of; sensitivity, working ranges and freedom from interferences. PSA’s highly acclaimed sampling systems are also renowned for robustness and ease of use, which is why so many plant managers and technicians have chosen their technology for rest-assured, dependability and precision for determining mercury levels at industrial locations across the globe.