Measuring the Condensable Particle Matter from a Stationary Source

With the retrofitting of coal-fired power plants and steel plants for ultra-low-emission control, the concentration of filterable particles (FPM) from these sources is decreasing gradually. The condensable particle matter (CPM) draws more attention. The understanding of CPM emission concentration and chemical characteristics is still limited. There has been no standard determination method of CPM in China until now. In this study, three methods, including the dry impinger method (US EPA method 202), indirect dilution method, and direct dilution method, are discussed and compared in measuring CPM emissions from coal-fired power plants, coke-making plants and sintering plants. The results show that method 202 overestimates the emissions of CPM, due to the fact that the gaseous HCl or SO2 dissolves into condensable liquid and cannot be completely eliminated by N2 purging after sampling. Instead, CPM measured using the indirect dilution method better represents its real emission levels into the atmosphere.