(BAT) Reference Document for the Production of Chlor-alkali ...

Table 4.8: Techniques for monitoring of mercury in air, water and waste
Environmental
Medium
Technique used Standard/Analytical method
Manual method in exhaust gases from
ducts or chimneys
EN 13211 ( 1 ) [ 166, CEN 2001 ]
Automated measuring systems in flue
gas
EN 14884 ( 1 Measurement in workplace air
) [ 167, CEN 2005 ]
ISO 17733 ( 1 Air
) [ 168, ISO 2004 ]
Portable analysers based on UV
absorption or change in conductivity of
gold film
[ 184, Euro Chlor 2008 ]
Water
Atomic absorption spectrometry
Atomic fluorescence spectrometry
EN 1483 [ 175, CEN 2007 ]
EN ISO 17852 [ 271, CEN 2006 ]
Aqua regia digestion EN 13657 ( 1 Waste
Microwave-assisted digestion
) [ 177, CEN 2002 ]
EN 13656 ( 1 ) [ 178, CEN 2002 ]
( 1 ) Standard has to be used in combination with another which measures the respective pollutant in water.
5. Transport, further treatment and disposal
Chapter 4
Transport, further treatment and disposal of waste incurred during decommissioning is outside
the scope of this BREF. Some relevant legislation is mentioned in Section 4.1.3.2.
Achieved environmental benefits
The achieved environmental benefits of this technique include:
reduction of mercury emissions during decommissioning;
reduction of generation of mercury-containing wastes during decommissioning.
Environmental performance and operational data
At the Arkema plant in Saint Auban (France), high-pressure washing with water avoided the
disposal of 4500 t of metals and plastics in salt mines. In addition, 407 t of copper, 230 t of
aluminium and 1634 t of steel were recycled after decontamination. The high-pressure washing
was carried out in a decontamination tent, the ventilation air being treated with activated carbon
and the wash water being drained to waste water treatment [ 276, French Ministry 2010 ].
The techniques used for mercury removal from waste gases and waste water during
decommissioning are the same as the ones used in mercury cell plants in production. Mercury
concentrations are typically Q 30 Zg/m 3 in treated waste gases [ 87, Euro Chlor 2006 ]. For
waste water, the techniques are generally able to reduce mercury concentrations from more than
10 mg/l to less than 10 µg/l [ 91, Euro Chlor 2011 ]. Biological mercury removal shows higher
residual mercury concentrations (typically < 50 Zg/l) [ 91, Euro Chlor 2011 ], [ 92, Gluszcz et
al. 2007 ].
{Please TWG provide more information on mercury emissions during decommissioning.}
WORKING DRAFT IN PROGRESS
Cross-media effects
Some raw materials and energy are consumed during decommissioning.
A large amount of mercury will become available (1.8 kg/tonne Cl2 capacity per year). This
mercury has the potential to be released into the global environment. Currently, no legislation
exists which regulates the fate of mercury from chlor-alkali plants, with the exception of
Sweden which has banned exports of mercury. According to [SRI Consulting, 1997], the
decommissioning of all mercury cells in the EU may lead to over 12000 tonnes of available
mercury.
TB/EIPPCB/CAK_Draft_1 December 2011 167