1 / 12

Testing for Mercury in Plant Effluent

Testing for Mercury in Plant Effluent. Gary Grey HydroQual, Inc. The Mercury Sampling Debate. NJDEPs stated purpose for the effluent sampling requirement: Evaluate the effect of the Dental Amalgam Rule on the release of mercury to the environment.

carolos
Download Presentation

Testing for Mercury in Plant Effluent

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Testing for Mercury in Plant Effluent Gary Grey HydroQual, Inc.

  2. The Mercury Sampling Debate NJDEPs stated purpose for the effluent sampling requirement: • Evaluate the effect of the Dental Amalgam Rule on the release of mercury to the environment. • DEPs intent is to look at POTW effluent mercury concentrations before and after dentists comply with the Amalgam Rule. • It is not DEPs intent to use this data to establish effluent limits. AEA position on the effluent sampling requirement: • POTWs remove mercury and may mask some of the effectivness of Amalgam Rule compliance. • POTW influent sampling would be more appropriate for evaluating the effect of the Rule. • Low level sampling is sensitive to contamination DEP response: • Requirement remains as effluent sampling but DEP will welcome influent sampling as well.

  3. EPA Method 1631E SampleMDL (ng/L) Clean Blanks 0.05 to 0.2 Effluent 1 to 50 Influent 50 to 500 Current NJ WQ standard = 50 ng/L FW 51 ng/L SE/SC NY DEC WQ standard = 0.26 ng/L or MDL (wildlife based criterion) EPA DW MCL = 2,000 ng/L

  4. Many Cautions on Contamination

  5. Buried in the Method 1631E Protocol is a Statement that Clean Methods Sampling Is Required NJDEP is requiring grab samples

  6. Method 1669 Clean Sampling Method • Two person sampling team – “Clean Hands” and “Dirty Hands” • Segregates “diry” operations from “clean” operations. • “Clean Hands” handles the sample bottle, collects the sample and returns the bottle to the inner sample bag. • We have seen blank detections of 0.2 to 0.4 ng/L in a clean laboratory setting. • Wisconsin DNR has helpful information posted on their website: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/wm/ww/mercury/mercury.htm • NJDEP will be posting mercury sampling Q&A and guidance in their website

  7. Labs Running Method 1631 E

  8. Mercury Sources Affecting POTWs Ask Hypo suppliers for metals assay

  9. In-plant Sources of Mercury

  10. Wisconsin POTW Monitoring Results(used to trigger Mercury Management Plans if > 12 ng/L)

  11. NY/NJ Harbor Data

  12. Summary • Make sure the lab is: • Certified for Method 1631E • Can achieve an MDL < 1 ng/L • Will provide sample bottles and Hg-free blank water • Low level mercury sampling MUST be a separate effort to itself and not combined with other sampling efforts. • Use dedicated and clean sampling equipment • USE CLEAN METHOD SAMPLING • Collect grab samples and field blanks • Expect plant effluent results at 1 to 50 ng/L. • Influent sampling should be conducted as well. • NJDEP will be posting Q&A regarding the mercury sampling program as well as some guidance on sampling methods.

More Related