Mercury Minnesota Presentation

• USEPA describes mercury as “naturally occurring element that can be found throughout the environment”

• Different human activities can increase or decrease

• Over exposure for humans is not a good thing

©2012, Matthews Cremation Division

What About Mercury …. In Minnesota?

• Goal is to reduce mercury emissions from human activities by 75%

• Cremation is one area of review • “calculated estimates” are 2.63 grams

released per cremation • Cremation issue is self correcting


• Mercury enters cremation cycle through silver amalgam tooth fillings

• Dentistry use of silver amalgam has been steadily declining since 1985

• Fillings per person have also been declining • Average life of SA fillings are 8-10 years • Many are replaced with non mercury alternatives


• Is “verified data” better than “calculated estimates” ?

• Data is based on standard accepted protocols and procedures

• Data is subject to careful review and verification of all sampling and lab work

• So why guess when facts are available?


Mercury Emissions Testing Results

• United Kingdom mercury testing • Most extensive study ever conducted • Protocols developed by scientists with

Glasgow Occupational Health Royal Infirmary

• Protocols, procedures and results reviewed and approved by DEFRA and SEPA



• British testing standards BSEN13211-2001 • Test equipment was NEM-5 continuous • Test company Pelican Scientific Ltd. • 54 human remains tested @ 2 sites • DEFRA and SEPA accepted results as being

in compliance with protocols



• UK Test 1- Craigton Crematorium • October 2006 • 23 cremations under normal conditions • 10 remains suspected no silver amalgam • Average mercury release for 23 was 0.128 grams

per body • Average mercury release for 13 was 0.227 grams

per body



• UK Test 2- Linn Crematorium • September 2007 • 31 cremations under normal conditions • 21 remains suspected no silver amalgam • Average mercury release for 31 was 0.323 grams


per body



• Japan mercury testing • Very extensive emissions study • Protocols and testing conducted by Department of Urban and Environmental Eng.

Kyoto University Japan Eco-Technology Research Center Ristumeikan

University Japan



• Japan testing using both Continuous Emissions Monitoring (Nippon Instruments) and standards JIS K0222 for the sampling

• 92 human remains tested • Results accepted as being in compliance with

protocols



• Japan 7 crematories tested • Results published September 2009 • Report revised and published April 2010 • 92 cremations under normal conditions • Average mercury release for 92 was 0.032 grams

per body



• United States mercury testing • Most extensive complete emissions study ever

conducted • Protocols developed by Midwest Research an

approved USEPA contractor • Protocols, procedures and results reviewed and

approved by USEPA



• USEPA testing standards Method 29 for the metals sampling

• Test company Midwest Research • 9 human remains tested • USEPA accepted results as being in compliance

with protocols • USEPA used results as their NEI National

Emissions Inventory data



• USA Test - Woodlawn Crematorium • June 1999 • 9 cremations under normal conditions • 2 remains suspected no silver amalgam • Average mercury release for 9 was 0.456 grams


per body



• Combining all 3 test results from UK and USA • Using only 30 results suspected of having silver

amalgam fillings • Worst case scenario that 100% of all bodies

cremated have silver amalgam • Average mercury release would be 0.568 grams

emitted per body


• Adding Japan data and combining all 4 test results

• Using all results from UK and USA plus all 92 results from Japan testing

• Average mercury release would be 0. 13grams emitted per body

Mercury Emissions Testing Results – Independent Review

• Independent review of UK and USEPA test data - Barr Engineering Company

• Report dated March 2008 • “Calculated” mercury emissions subject to

uncertainties in population • Emissions from actual cremations are preferred



• USEPA identified Woodlawn as a “representative” facility and the basis of their NEI database

• Bodies cremated for the testing were representative of the overall population

• Samples were actually weighted to overestimate mercury emissions



• Increasing USEPA’s g/hr rate to include any emissions during warm up and cool down

• Increased to 0.664 g HG/cremation • To account for any variables in testing (age,

weight, temperature, etc..) • Increase from 0.664 to1.185 g HG/cremation • Gives a 95% confidence rating


Mercury Emissions Testing Results Independent Review Summary

• USEPA considers Woodlawn to be representative

• Woodlawn report is a reliable data source • Even using higher adjusted data provided

by Barr, HG emissions from crematoria are relatively small as compared to other sources


• UK crematoria location, 5 soil samples • 112,000 cremations performed • All samples within acceptable limits • Worst sample is 5 x below safe level for food

production • Site tested considered not contaminated


• NZ crematoria location, 6 soil samples • 4,400 cremations performed • All samples within acceptable limits • Worst sample is 10 x below safe level for food

production • Site tested was compared to a reference site

(botanical garden) 40km away and HG levels were almost identical


• CA crematoria location, 6 soil samples • Over 3000 cremations performed • All samples well below acceptable limits • Worst sample is 400 x below safe level for

residential land use in California • Soil samples were compared to an unrelated

reference site and were very similar


• How does it now control emissions? • Why are some emissions reduced and others

not? • How do other countries deal with HG? • What are the pros and cons of filtering

emissions?


Typical Flame Cremation Process


Typical Matthews Filtration System


Funeral / Burial

Flame Based

Flame Based w/ Abatement

Container Production and Provision 28 28 28

Fuel Production/Consumption 201 201

Electrical Consumption 10 10

NOX Emissions 3 3

Other Emissions 1 1

Mercury Abatement System 18

KOH Production/Transport

CH4/NOX from Water Processing

Energy at Processing Plant

Delivery of Typical Funeral 189

Burial Process At Grave 100

Grave Maintenance (100yrs) 103

CO2 Reduction Due To Turf Absorption -39

Total kg CO2 Equivalents 381 243 261

HCL (kg/hr) 0.07 0.0001

Hg (kg/hr) 0.0003 0.0000002

Data Sources: Sustain Environmental Accounting UK/ Green Burial Council

Lower particulate emissions

Lower carbon monoxide emissions

Lower carbon dioxide emissions

Lower mercury emissions

Lower nitrogen oxide emissions

Less fuel consumed

Less natural resources consumed

Improved environmental signature



?

? ?

? ?

?

Mercury Minnesota Presentation

Documents

Transcript of Mercury Minnesota Presentation