How to Monitor Dioxin Gas

Dioxins, a family of hazardous chemical compounds emitted by several combustion and incineration processes, can cause skin lesions and respiratory problems in cases of short-term exposure and more complex nervous, reproductive or respiratory conditions and even cancers in cases of sustained or chronic exposure. Given the dangers, dioxin monitoring is a major concern for environmental and public health agencies, most recommending automated constant sampling methods to analyze different dioxin concentrations over time and during different points of emitting-machine operation. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the cooled probe method produces the most trustworthy sampling results.

Things You'll Need

• Adsorption Method for Sampling Dioxins and Furans (AMESA) Automatic Dioxin Meter
• Data processing software or recording method

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Instructions

Control Procedure and Installation

• 1

  Conduct an automatic leakage test to verify that the sampling instrument is not contaminated. If the dioxin meter does not have an automatic control testing feature, simply activate the meter in an area where you know there is little or no dioxin contamination and examine the results to verify that the instrument works.

• 2

  Install the meter in an area where you suspect dioxin contamination is present. Smoke-stacks, machine exhausts or areas near incineration plants are all likely candidates for dioxin contamination. You can also install additional meters in areas around the testing site to see how dioxin concentrations vary at specific distances from the source.

• 3

  Activate the AMESA meter. The device conducts a constant testing protocol, absorbing air samples into a cooled probe cylinder and analyzing the captured air for particulate matter and contamination. EPA research shows that dioxin emission varies at different points in the combustion process, reaching the highest levels at machine start-up. This variation makes continuous testing necessary to capture data about high points in dioxin concentration.

Operation and Data Interpretation

• 4

  Allow the meter to operate for the full standard testing period, usually two to four weeks. AMESA meters continuously pump air samples into a control chamber for constant testing, generating data that shows changes and trends over time. The long testing period also captures possible variations due to temperature, wind direction, humidity or slight differences in the fuel combusted.

• 5

  Compile all of the data on the testing period. AMESA meters can transmit data electronically and store it internally on a removable memory card. Remove the card to confirm the data from electronic transmission.

• 6

  Identify maximum points of dioxin concentration during the testing period. Due to the serious short-term risks of dioxin exposure, even short periods of high concentrations can present a serious health risk.

• 7

  Operate the AMESA meter one last time in an area unlikely to have dioxin contamination. This reading is a final control process to verify that the device is not contaminated and produces trustworthy results.

• 8

  Send all of the results, along with the testing cartridge (the removable chamber that absorbs and captures air samples in the meter) to a professional laboratory for verification.