ONTARIO HYDRO SAMPLING METHOD
Project Desciption
Six mercury continuous emission monitors (CEMs) were evaluated in a seven-week long field test at Toxic Substances Control Incinerator located in Tennessee. BioLargo Engineering personnel conducted the evaluation for the purpose of evaluating mercury monitoring technologies for possible deployment at facilities.
Category
Ontario Hydro Sampling Method
Ontario Hydro Sampling Process
BioLargo Engineering conducted a series mercury reference method tests utilizing the OH sampling method for determination of oxidized (Hg2+), elemental (Hg0) and total mercury. The complete OH sampling program consisted of twelve two-hour and six one-hour test runs using paired sampling trains on the stack of the TSCA Incinerator. The two trains (paired) ran simultaneously and were utilized for each of the OH sampling runs.
Sampling for elemental mercury Hg0, oxidized mercury Hg2+and total mercury was performed in accordance with the “Standard Test Method for Elemental, Oxidized, Particle-Bound and Total Mercury in Flue Gas Generated from Coal-Fired Stationary Sources (The Ontario Hydro Method). This method is applicable to the determination of elemental mercury Hg0, oxidized mercury Hg2+, and total mercury emissions from stationary sources. A sample is withdrawn from the stack gas stream isokinetically through a heated (maintained @ 248 oF) probe/filter system, followed by a series of impingers located in an ice bath. The oxidized mercury is collected in the first set of impingers containing chilled aqueous potassium chloride (KCl) solution. The elemental mercury is collected in subsequent impingers (one containing chilled aqueous acidic solution of hydrogen peroxide and three impingers containing chilled acidic solutions of potassium permanganate).
Work Completed
Specific tasks that were performed by BioiLargo’s Engineering team included:
- Performed an initial series of paired train Ontario Hydro (OH) reference method sampling runs.
- Mercury standard gases were also used throughout the project to challenge the CEMs while conducting calibration span checks, and the stability of the standards themselves was evaluated.
- An evaluation of the operation and maintenance requirements of the monitors was made.
- Issues associated with moving mercury CEMs out of the pilot-scale test arena and into an operating facility environment were identified.