Abstract
A fully-operational, argon ICP-based continuous emissions monitor (CEM) for hazardous air pollutant (HAP) metals has recently been demonstrated. The CEM has undergone extensive field evaluation in conjunction with a variety of combustor configurations including coal-fired power plants, waste incinerators, and ordnance deactivation furnaces. The CEM has been successfully demonstrated to provide both speed and sensitivity for simultaneous, multielement detection of HAP metals while exhibiting considerable tolerance for both particulate and moisture loading in sample air streams. The CEM employs a state-of-the-art argon inductively coupled plasma spectrometer as an elemental analyzer. Stack air, continuously extracted under strictly isokinetic conditions, is transported to the CEM through heated sample lines. A sampling interface of novel design permits extraction of air at the high, often variable flow rates required for isokinetic sampling while at the same time, provides aliquots of sample air to the plasma spectrometer at the relatively low but constant analytical flow rates that are appropriate for plasma injection. The CEM is automated to high degree and can operate unattended for several hours at a time. CEM calibration is accomplished using precision-generated metal aerosols. Provision is made for correction of spectral interferences from concomitant metals and molecular species in stack gases. Themore » prototype instrumentation described here is presently considered to be the leading candidate for multimetals CEM application. While specifically designed and implemented to monitor metal emissions from military furnaces used for ordnance deactivation, the CEM has exhibited versatility that makes it well-suited for numerous compliance and process control applications. Results of field testing under various conditions and relative accuracy assessments will be presented.« less
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