What pollutants are typically monitored by a CEMS?

CEMS are capable of monitoring the concentrations of a broad number of different pollutants; however, the precise type of contamination that must be monitored varies based on the location in question, the purpose for which it is employed, and the specific sort of pollution that may be detected. Not every CEMS is able to measure every kind of pollution; instead, there are focused monitoring systems set up at locations all around the UK and abroad, and these systems are determined by the specific chemicals that are being monitored.

Carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrogen chloride (HCI), particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ozone (O3), and heavy metals such as mercury are the primary pollutants that a CEMS measures. In general, however, the main pollutants that a CEMS measures include carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulphur dioxide (SO2) (Hg). It is important to note that a monitoring system intended for quantifying levels of particulate matter calls for additional filtering and conditioning measures to be taken, so that the contaminant does not cause harm to the equipment that is used for analyzing the data.

Meanwhile, a CEMS may also be configured to monitor additional characteristics of a location’s flue gas effluent in order to get insights into the operation of the location on a day-to-day basis. Variables such as the air velocity in the sample (which can aid to obtain measurements of contamination concentration on a mass per hour basis), the moisture levels in the gas, and the opacity of the flue gases are included in this category of factors. COMS is an abbreviation for “contaminant opacity and transmittance sampling,” which refers to the process in which the sample’s transmittance and opacity are measured.