Teledyne Leeman Labs Blog

President Biden’s Executive Order 13990 directed the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency to undergo a policy and regulation review of changes to the Clean Air Act set forth during President Trump’s administration. The order instructed the EPA to suggest revisions and/or cancellation of regulations and policies that at first glance do not seem to be in the best interest of public health.

Teledyne Leeman Labs offers multiple mercury (Hg) analyzers which can determine total mercury concentrations in samples at the ultra-trace level. The final installment of this three-part blog series will be an introduction to the QuickTrace line of mercury analyzers: the QuickTrace M-7600 and the QuickTrace M-8000.

Mercury (Hg) determination at the ultra-trace level is an essential part of environmental assessment and drinking water monitoring. But this type of analysis comes with distinct challenges.

Do you have a backlog of solids and/or semisolid samples you need to analyze for mercury determination? Or are you a teaching laboratory needing an instrument to complete that proposal you wrote? Or a laboratory exploring options to enhance your portfolio? Well, I encourage you to look to Teledyne Leeman Labs for viable options.

Mercury poisoning is a serious concern for those of us who directly work with mercury. Mercury is a heavy metal with many adverse side effects for people and the environment, even in relatively small amounts. That is why mercury analyzers are useful for testing where health concerns exist; you likely use one in your own lab if you’re reading this.

We often get asked if there is an ideal photo multiplier tube (PMT) voltage for the QuickTrace^® M-8000. The truth is the optimal value is unique to each instrument’s detector. It varies from instrument to instrument. During the initialization process, after connecting to the QuickTrace software, the M-8000 will select the voltage that is right for the PMT inside that system. This is the same process as clicking the Auto Select Voltage button in the Instrument Control menu. So, why is there another Set Volts option in that same menu?

We are in a battery recycling boom! A strong push from consumers for corporate responsibility in source origins and greener options overall has been felt by companies all over the world. Using recycled materials can be a cost-effective, logical choice for supporting Green Initiatives and boosting the bottom line.

A lot of focus is put on anthropogenic (human-caused) releases of mercury into the environment, but let’s take a closer look into a powerful, natural source of mercury: volcanoes! We’ll explore why volcanic eruptions can increase global mercury levels, how we measure mercury released from past major eruptions, and how those measurements inform our policies for the future. So, how does mercury move from fire to ice?

Mercury Testing in Water and Health Effects of Mercury in Drinking Water

How does mercury get into drinking water supplies? How do we know when our drinking water is polluted? How does mercury contamination impact human health? In this blog we will focus on the sources of mercury in the environment, discuss health risks associated with mercury exposure, examine water treatment for mercury, review existing regulation designed to monitor and mitigate mercury and highlight Teledyne Leeman Labs’ role in manufacturing analyzers that test for mercury in water samples.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is defined by the Minamata Convention on Mercury as ‘gold mining conducted by individual miners or small enterprises with limited capital investment and production’. This type of mining often uses liquid mercury which forms an amalgam with the gold ore in the soil. The very small particles of gold are dissolved into the mercury to form a dark grey clump. To release the gold from the amalgam, the alloy is melted over a flame, driving the gaseous mercury vapor into the air and leaving behind the extracted gold. It is estimated that ASGM produces up to 20% of the world’s gold and 35% of all mercury pollution into the environment. Gold mining using mercury is detrimental to the health of workers, their environment, and their communities but there are economic and social considerations that limit the implementation of mercury free mining technologies.