Work

Determination of Total Mercury and Mercury Thermospecies in Cement and Cement Raw Materials

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Cement manufacturing is the second largest anthropogenic source of Hg emissions into the environment, therefore, establishment of analytical methodologies that can be utilized to determine Hg concentration from cement raw materials and cement is of great importance. Therefore, total Hg and Hg thermospecies in cement raw materials and cements were determined by thermal desorption techniques with Zeeman Hg analyzer. No chemical pre-treatment of samples is required from this technique prior analysis. Optimum single stage temperature program was applied to determine total Hg at optimum heating rate approximately 5C s−1 while Hg thermospecies were determined over four stages at optimum heating rate of approximately 0.2C s−1 per stage from ambient to 720C. Total mercury concentrations in cement raw materials ranged between 2.19 ng g−1 and 395 ng g−1. And in cement lied between 1.32 ng g−1 and 31.0 ng g−1. The highest Hg contents were found in dust return (580 ng g−1 and 679 ng g−1). Hg thermospecies determination showed that cements raw materials and cements contain one Hg thermospecies that are released at 20C−180C while dust return contained one to four Hg thermospecies that could be released at 20C−180C, 180C−360C, 360C−540C and/or 540C−720C, thus indicating that new Hg compounds are formed during cement production.

Source: Analytica—A Journal of Analytical Chemistry and Chemical Analysis

DOI: 10.3390/analytica6030026

Authors: Yolisa A Lucwaba, Khakhathi L Mandiwana

Institution: Tshwane University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Mercury impact and mitigation studies

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,207