Unrivaled analytical solutions for FGD wastewater

Operators of coal utilities are under increased scrutiny of their flue-gas desulfur­ization (FGD) wastewater discharges. Chemical and biological treatment systems have been designed for removing target analytes below the regulatory limits with some success. However, many facilities are facing issues with selenium and other trace metals.

The complex nature of FGD wastewater (high TDS, high chloride, and volatile met­al species) poses difficulties for accurate analysis of trace metals. Several inter-laboratory studies have yielded very different results between laboratories.   Frontier GeoSciences has performed several studies comparing multiple digestion methods and various analytical options. We have been able to maximize our recoveries by selecting the appropriate digestion method and optimizing our ICP-MS instrumentation using Dynamic Reaction Cell (DRC) technology.

In addition to total metals measurements, speciation information can be a very useful tool to understand the efficient removal of trace metals in treatment systems.  Most treatment methods target specific metal species for removal; if the metal is not in an amendable form, it may not be removed as desired. For example, many treatment systems are able to remove the selenite form of selenium, but have dif­ficulty with the oxidized form, selenate, which is the form most likely to be present in forced oxidation FGD systems.

Armed with accurate results, our clients have been able to understand exactly where they are having issues within their treatment system. Supplemented with speciation information, our clients are able to identify potential reasons why a par­ticular treatment method is not working and take appropriate steps to improve the design of their system.

Please contact Frontier GeoSciences, the leader in trace metals measurements, if you want the most accurate, appropriate analysis of your complex industrial wastewater.