Last week, we hosted a webinar through the American Biogas Council. In it, Jon Cross, our Director of Technical Services, outlined a new method for measuring metals in gaseous fuels using sorbent tubes. The presentation covered method development, sampling procedures, sample analysis, and supporting data. RNG producers must comply with pipeline gas quality specifications in order to inject their gas into a natural gas pipeline. These specifications typically include limits on toxic metals, such as copper, arsenic, antimony, and lead. With the California Air Resources Board (CARB) expected to add cadmium and chromium to this group, and other entities across North America adding limits on additional metals, testing for metals in gaseous fuels is becoming even more important.
Prior to the development of this method, the industry accepted standard for testing metals was EPA Method 29. Originally developed for testing of emissions in combustion stacks, this method was not designed for gaseous fuels, requires shipping and mixing of hazardous chemicals in the field, is highly susceptible to contamination, requires a trained professional to sample, is expensive, and has lengthy analysis turnaround times. Conversely, the new sorbent tube method, supported by the EPA and ASTM, was designed specifically for gaseous fuels to address the limitations of EPA Method 29, without sacrificing accuracy and sensitivity.
Additional resources:
- Presentation PowerPoint Slides
- Toxic Metals Sorbent Trap for Gaseous Fuels Flyer
- Biogas Laboratory Services Flyer
- Portable Gaseous Fuels Sampling System Flyer
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