Process for removing hydrogen sulfide and mercury from gases

Disclosed is a sorbent material for removing mercury and hydrogen sulfide from gases. The sorbent is a porous granular material which has been impregnated with a chemical compound capable of converting mercury to the oxide form and simultaneously hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur. Sorbent materials include silica, alumina, silica-alumina, molecular sieves, and mixtures of two or more of these. The reactive compound disclosed is an alkali metal peroxomonosulfate salt, for example, potassium peroxomonosulfate. In a variation the gas can be contacted directly with an aqueous solution of the chemical compound such as the alkali peroxomonsolufate salt.