title: On-line detection of metal pollutant spikes in MSW incinerator flue gases prior to clean-up.
abstract: SUWIC's unique mobile metals emissions monitoring laboratory has been used to measure metal pollutant spikes in the flue gas from a municipal solid waste incinerator, prior to gas clean-up. The laboratory has a heated sampling probe that extends into the plant, allowing the simultaneous on-line measurement of the concentrations of more than 30 metals by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). As little is known about temporal variation in metal concentrations, this capability is seen as a major advance. The graphs of continuous measurements show that the elemental loading is far from uniform, and that concentrations fluctuate far more than may have been conventionally expected. There are occasional significant spikes in the emission profiles for cadmium and mercury, which are believed to be due to specific items in the waste feed material. Continuous monitoring measurements are of significant value for those seeking to model metal behaviour in combustion and in pollution control devices.
authors.affiliation: Sheffield University Waste Incineration Centre (SUWIC), University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK. d.poole@sheffield.ac.uk
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Poole
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sharifi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Swithenbank
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Argent
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ardelt
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D017745:Incineration; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*; D009862:Online Systems; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D008670:Metals