Critical Review: Measurement of Mercury Combustion Aerosols in Emissions From Stationary Sources

This review attempts to critically evaluate mercury aerosol emissions due to toxic and hazardous waste incineration. Since the literature surveyed indicated that sufficient information does not exist on this subject the technical discussion deals primarily with the emissions of mercury due to fossil fuel (e.g. coal) combustion. Sampling methods commonly used to evaluate mercury emissions from utility stacks are discussed. The limitations of such methods are pointed out, and attempts by the authors and others to improve collection efficiency are also mentioned. The problems of sample instability are mentioned, and data on mercury size-dependent emissions are included. Commonly used analytical methods for mercury quantification are discussed and their limitations pointed out. Detection limits of some of the ideal analytical methods are also tabulated. Conclusions and recommendations for future work in the area of mercury emissions due to refuse incineration are also given.