Heavy industry metal monitoring

It is a method of elemental analysis for various practical reasons and it is essentially suitable for analysis only of metals. A large number of elements can be analyzed for at trace levels. Therefore, its biotechnologic applications mainly involve in measurement of inorganic elements such as alkali, trace, and heavy metals in biological investigations. It is also used in industry to monitor contaminating inorganic elements in bioreactors fermentation process and preparation of culture media. 

The apparatus can theoretically sample to any depth. However, at depths greater than 100 m, it is logistically diflBcult to anchor and to retrieve. The apparatus could be used to monitor baseline trace metal levels, sewage and industrial metal outfalls, offshore dumping sites, and diffusion of heavy metals from polluted sediments. The concentration apparatus could also be adapted to monitor other compoimds such as methylated mercury, chlorinated hydrocarbons, amino acids, etc. by replacing the Chelex-100 in the columns with other resins specific for the compounds to be monitored. 

Heavy metal ions are extremely toxic, and hence their determination at trace levels is an important task, not only in analytical chemistry, but also in other fields, such as environmental monitoring, clinical toxicology, wastewater treatment, animal husbandry and industrial process monitoring. 

Emissions monitoring is essential in controlling industrial environments and processes to ensure good air quality standards are maintained. It is also required in order that the various regulations and guidelines related to air quality are met. In addition to gaseous emissions, such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and many others, the emissions of particulate material and heavy metals must also be controlled. 

Persistent organic pollutants (POP) and heavy metals were in the focus of interest until the begiiming of the 1990s and intensive monitoring programs and ecotoxico-logical studies had been conducted. As a result, due to adoption of appropriate measures and elimination of the dominant pollution sources a drastic reduction of emission of these nonpolar hazardous compounds have been achieved and today these compounds are less relevant for the industrialized countries. 

XRF is widely used in industrial applications where a large number of elements need to be determined quantitatively. It is used for continuous quality control in the steel industry (e.g., the determination of Mn, Cr, Ni, Co, etc., in the production of stainless steels), and also for casting quality of coins in the Royal Mint (where Cu, Ni, and Zn are continuously monitored). Geological applications include whole rock analyses and clay identification. The power industry uses it as pollution control management, measuring sulfur and heavy metal concentrations in fuels (coal, oil) and ash. 

Exposure to heavy metals in the industrial environment has caused global concern, because several substances have been shown to cause severe adverse effects among workers and children. This situation requires proper training and monitoring by associated agencies worldwide. 

Exposure Registries. New York State has instituted a Heavy Metals Registry that monitors occupational exposure to heavy metals, including mercury. Cases are reported when mercury exposure is equal to or exceeds 50 g/L (ppb) in blood or 20 g/L (ppb) in urine. Between 1982 and 1986, 1,000 cases of mercury exposure were reported and linked to 47 companies. Most exposures (494 cases) occurred in workers in the alkali and chlorine industry, where mercury is used as a cathode because exposure occurs when the cells are opened the median blood mercury concentration was 76 g/L (ppb) (maximum concentration 916 g/L [ppb]). The second most frequent exposure category (213 cases) was the manufacture of industrial instruments, such as the manual assembly and fabrication of thermometers median blood mercury concentration was 145 g/L (ppb) and the maximum concentration was 889 g/L (ppb) (Baser and Marion 1990). 

The Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMI) is the main organization having responsibility with respect to air pollution monitoring in Slovakia (SHMI, 2004). The air monitoring system consists of 35 automatic stations in the whole country with measurements of SO2, NOx, PMio, PM2,5, O3, CO, benzene, H2S. At 22 stations heavy metals Pb, Cd, Ni, and As are measured manually. Additionally, there are 10 monitoring stations of different industrial manufacturers and 18 ozone stations. 

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