Mercury removal from the flue gases of crematoria via pre-injection of lime and activated carbon into a fabric filter

[Display omitted] •The age group with mercury-containing dental amalgams had shifted to higher age.•The importance of the controlling mercury emissions during the first 10−30 min of a cremation.•The age at death could be a factor in controlling mercury emission from a crematory.•The pre-injection of a mixture of 10 % activated carbon and lime was effective at removing mercury from crematorium flue gas. The emissions from crematoria have been identified as a source of mercury not currently being remediated. However, the effects of changing the operational conditions by installing a fabric filter (FF) to remove mercury from the flue gas of a crematorium have not been examined in detail. In this study, the mercury concentrations of crematoria flue gases before and after passing through a pre-treated FF and a selective catalytic reactor (SCR) were recorded via continuous emission monitors to examine the effect of pre-injecting a mixture of lime and 10 % activated carbon into the flue. After the filter was installed and treated, mercury concentrations at the outlet of the SCR were very low, with a maximum of less than 5 μg/Nm3. The mercury removal efficiency ranged from 87.5–99.9%. The thick layer of lime and activated carbon on the surface of the FF effectively suppressed the peak mercury concentration at the outlet of the SCR. The relationship between the average mercury concentration at the inlet of the FF and the age of the person at death indicates that the age at death could be a key factor in controlling mercury emissions from a crematorium.