Monitoring of Volatile Cadmium in Flue Gas from the Waste Incineration Process Using LIBS

Abstract

CEM (Continuous Emission Monitors) techniques need to be developed for the appropriate control of volatile heavy metals contained in the flue gas from waste incineration. LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) is one of the promising methods for the real-time and in situ measurement of trace elements in a gas. All the elements existing in a laser-induced plasma are excited and radiate characteristic line spectra. These spectra enable the identification and quantification of each element. In order to gain a foothold in the online measurement of cadmium in flue gas using LIBS, the midgut gland of scallop, known to be a waste product having an extremely high concentration of cadmium, was selected as a combustion sample. The transient change in cadmium emission from midgut gland combustion was continuously analyzed using LIBS.