Mercury Spill Response Mercury Spill Response InstrumentationInstrumentation

Mercury Vapor AnalyzersMercury Vapor Analyzers

Jerome 431-X MVA (gold film)Jerome 431-X MVA (gold film)

Lumex 915+ MVA (Atomic Absorption)Lumex 915+ MVA (Atomic Absorption)

Jerome J405 MVA Jerome J405 MVA

Jerome 431-X Mercury Vapor Jerome 431-X Mercury Vapor AnalyzerAnalyzer

Capabilities:Capabilities:Detects mercury vapor Detects mercury vapor at the at the µµg/mg/m33 level and level and greatergreater3.0 3.0 µµg/mg/m33

Limitations:Limitations:May not detect mercury May not detect mercury at lower levelsat lower levels7 pounds7 pounds

Uses:Uses:Mercury spills such as Mercury spills such as thermometers, thermometers, hydrometers, switches, hydrometers, switches, pressure gaugespressure gauges

Advantages vs. DisadvantagesAdvantages vs. Disadvantages

Has a high maximum Has a high maximum reading valuereading value

Does not saturate Does not saturate easilyeasily

Can always be reset Can always be reset with the Regen with the Regen functionfunction

Is not a constant read Is not a constant read type of instrumenttype of instrument

Has a detection limit Has a detection limit above the lowest above the lowest health-based cleanup health-based cleanup levellevel

Reproducibility is low Reproducibility is low at low concentrationsat low concentrations

Useful places for a JeromeUseful places for a Jerome

Screening bagged personal items.Screening bagged personal items.

Searching for hotspots in a high ambient Searching for hotspots in a high ambient concentration area.concentration area.

Jerome J405 Mercury Vapor Analyzer By Arizona Instrument, LLC

Capabilities:Capabilities:Uses Gold Film Sensor Uses Gold Film Sensor TechnologyTechnologyDetects mercury vapor at the Detects mercury vapor at the µµg/mg/m33 level and greater level and greater0.5 0.5 µµg/mg/m33 to 999 to 999 µµg/mg/m3 3

16 seconds for sample16 seconds for sample5.3 pounds5.3 pounds20,000 samples20,000 samplesData Logging (USB)Data Logging (USB)24 hour battery life24 hour battery life

Uses:Uses:Meets EPA and ATSDR Meets EPA and ATSDR Action levels.Action levels.

Lumex 915+ Mercury Vapor Lumex 915+ Mercury Vapor Analyzer with RP-91 and RP-91C Analyzer with RP-91 and RP-91C

AttachmentsAttachments

Capabilities:Capabilities:Portable Atomic AbsorptionPortable Atomic Absorption

Instant NIOSH 6009 indoor air Instant NIOSH 6009 indoor air Hg concentrationsHg concentrations

2 ng/m2 ng/m3 3 (0.002 (0.002 µµg/mg/m33))

Limitations:Limitations:Soil and liquid attachments Soil and liquid attachments require field lab setuprequire field lab setup

Standards are expensive and Standards are expensive and difficult to ship quickly (DG)difficult to ship quickly (DG)

16 pounds16 pounds

Direct analysis of soil and Direct analysis of soil and complex mixtures (EPA complex mixtures (EPA 7473)7473)Hg determination in Hg determination in aqueous samples (EPA aqueous samples (EPA 1631)1631)

Advantages vs. DisadvantagesAdvantages vs. Disadvantages

Constant read Constant read instrumentinstrumentExtremely low Extremely low detection limitdetection limitGenerally accurate Generally accurate and reproducible at and reproducible at low or high low or high concentrationsconcentrations

20 minute startup 20 minute startup timetimeBattery life, especially Battery life, especially through the length of through the length of a removala removalHigh background High background concentrations may concentrations may hide hotspots, or hide hotspots, or saturate the saturate the instrumentinstrument

SpikesSpikes

When using the Lumex and a high reading When using the Lumex and a high reading occurs, remove instrument to outside or occurs, remove instrument to outside or away from area to clear.away from area to clear.

If clearing personal items, watch the If clearing personal items, watch the numbers and as soon as the go above numbers and as soon as the go above 25,000 ng/m25,000 ng/m33 remove the nozzle. Use a remove the nozzle. Use a Jerome to get exact values if they are Jerome to get exact values if they are needed needed

More About SpikesMore About Spikes

In a very high environment the numbers In a very high environment the numbers may go up very quickly and then begin may go up very quickly and then begin coming down, then when the nozzle is coming down, then when the nozzle is moved back to clear air the numbers will moved back to clear air the numbers will rise and then fall back down. rise and then fall back down.

This means the concentrations saturated This means the concentrations saturated the detector and the Lumex will likely take the detector and the Lumex will likely take additional time to clear.additional time to clear.

Two types of measurementsTwo types of measurements

Ambient air Ambient air concentrationsconcentrations– Measured in the 4 – 6 Measured in the 4 – 6

ft height region.ft height region.– Tells you the Tells you the

concentration of concentration of mercury vapor in the mercury vapor in the room as a whole.room as a whole.

– This is similar to the This is similar to the data gained with air data gained with air sampling.sampling.

– Always performed first.Always performed first.

Near surface Near surface measurementsmeasurements– Performed near a Performed near a

surface (floor, surface (floor, tabletop, etc.).tabletop, etc.).

– Delineates hot spots, Delineates hot spots, where elemental where elemental mercury may be.mercury may be.

Questions???Questions???