Adsorption Method for Sampling of Dioxins and Furans (AMESA) is an automatic system for ''continuous'' monitoring of emissions of

dioxins Dioxin may refer to: * 1,2-Dioxin or 1,4-Dioxin, two unsaturated heterocyclic 6-membered rings where two carbon atoms have been replaced by oxygen atoms, giving the molecular formula C4H4O2 *Dibenzo-1,4-dioxin, the parent compound also known as ...

and

furan Furan is a heterocyclic organic compound, consisting of a five-membered aromatic ring with four carbon atoms and one oxygen atom. Chemical compounds containing such rings are also referred to as furans. Furan is a colorless, flammable, highly ...

s from industrial processes which require official approval in compliance with environmental regulations. Applications include refuse incinerators and hazardous material incinerators.

Method

A sample is continuously extracted from the gas stream being monitored using a

titanium Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resistant to corrosion in ...

probe, which is water-cooled to below 70 °C. The sample flow rate is automatically adjusted to ensure isokinetic sampling (the velocity of gas entering the sampling system is equal to the velocity of the gas in the system under test). The sample gas is drawn through a

quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical form ...

wool pre-filter and then across a cartridge filled with resin, such as XAD 2. The sample gas is also cooled to below 5 °C to condense and remove water vapour. All system parameters are recorded digitally during sampling. The resin cartridge and the condensate are removed at the end of a monitoring period, and the contents are analysed to determine levels of dioxins and furans.

References

{{industry-stub Chemical tests Analytical chemistry