Saturday, October 18, 2025
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
Environmental Magazine
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water
No Result
View All Result
Environmental Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water
No Result
View All Result
Environmental Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home Water

Continuous metals monitor reveals environmental improvement opportunities

June 13, 2024
in Water
A A

A new continuous metals monitoring technology was recently trialled at a river by a Talc production plant in central Finland. The trial was conducted to assess the possibility of avoiding the need to sample and analyse large numbers of environmental water samples. “The results were extremely enlightening,” explains Jari Sirviö, Development Engineer for Elementis, the plant’s owner. “Luckily, a heavy rainfall event occurred during the brief trial, and we discovered a rapid increase, and subsequent decrease, in nickel concentration that closely followed the rain. This strong correlation between rainfall and nickel provides an important insight into the behaviour of nickel, and raises a number of important questions; it also highlights the enormous benefits that can be gained from continuous monitoring.”

It is common practice globally, to monitor metals concentrations by sampling for laboratory analysis, and the plant had previously taken samples three times per week. In contrast, the continuous and automated monitor makes a measurement every 5 minutes, 24/7. “Lab analysis would not have been able to demonstrate the correlation between rainfall and nickel concentration,” Jari explains. “We are therefore delighted to see that this new monitoring technology can deliver greater insights into the factors affecting water quality, so that we can continuously improve our environmental performance.”

The new monitoring technology employs Micro-Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy (µDOES®), and was supplied by the Finnish company Sensmet.

Background
Employing over 1,300 people at more than 24 locations, Elementis is a specialty chemicals company with operations worldwide. The company is focused on distinctive, high-value solutions and products to improve performance and enhance sustainability for customers in the personal care and product performance specialties markets. The Elementis plant at Sotkamo produces Talc according to market demand, as well as Nickel concentrate as a by-product.

Talc is one of the softest minerals, and with platy and hydrophobic characteristics it adds value to a range of industrial products including paper, paints & coatings, polyester putties, plastics, ceramics, food, and fertilizers.

Nickel is used in a wide range of industrial applications such as the manufacture of stainless steel. However, its importance has been heightened in recent years as a component of rechargeable batteries – in electric vehicles for example.

Environmental monitoring
Elementis constantly aims to design better products that use less resources and create less pollution. In addition, the company has identified water management, waste minimisation and ecological impacts as material issues within its sustainability strategy.

A water treatment plant was built at the Sotkamo facility in 2021, using lime to raise the pH of site wastewaters and remove contaminants such as metals. In compliance with an environmental permit, together with Finnish environmental law, high quality process monitoring ensures the receiving environment is not polluted by the discharge, and includes an upper limit for nickel in the receiving river water of 0.034 mg/l.

During the period immediately after the installation of the neutralisation plant, a large number of laboratory samples were taken as the plant was optimised. This prompted Elementis staff to investigate the possibility of continuous analysis, which led to the trial of Sensmet’s µDOES® analyser.

Continuous measurement of Nickel with rainfall and river flow

Continuous multi-metal monitoring technology
Sensmet’s Micro-Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy, µDOES®, enables the multi-metal real-time analysis of aqueous samples. In addition to nickel monitoring, the technology can also be utilised to monitor elements such as lithium, sodium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, copper, and more.

The patented µDOES® technology is based on atomic emission spectroscopy. A micro-discharge (electric spark) is created directly inside the aqueous sample, causing a microscopic volume of the fluid surrounding the spark to be flash-heated to 10 000 °C. Molecules in the micro-discharge are dissociated into atoms, which are excited to their respective higher electronic states. Upon returning to their ground state, these atoms release their excess energy by emitting light at their characteristic wavelengths. The µDOES® measures this atomic emission spectrum to derive quantitative analysis of the sample, displaying measurements locally, and transferring data to the user’s DCS and database as needed.

Conclusions
The µDOES® analyser has provided the Sotkamo staff with new insights into the factors affecting nickel levels, which enables the development of mitigation measures. “Sensmet’s continuous monitoring technology has delivered a real lightbulb moment for us,” Jari Sirviö explains. “Now that we know about the correlation between rainfall and nickel concentration, we can investigate a range of options that could be employed to lower nickel levels, and with continuous monitoring we will be in a better position to evaluate the results.”

In recent years there has been a global trend toward greater use of continuous environmental monitoring. “This has been enabled by advances in technology,” explains Sensmet CEO Dr Toni Laurila. “However, as this trial has demonstrated, continuous monitoring delivers a range of other important advantages, that combine to further improve environmental protection.”

ShareTweetSharePinSendShare

Related Articles

Water

Northumbrian Water appoints installation partner for smart metering programme

October 13, 2025
Water

Flooding victims need single trusted line to expert help and clear accountability, MPs recommend

October 13, 2025
Water

Report details staggering extent of water leaks problem, and how real-time monitoring can help

October 10, 2025
Water

Yorkshire Water models sewer data availability

October 7, 2025
Water

Water contamination detection tool shortlisted for national award

October 6, 2025
Water

How manufacturers are ensuring leak tightness in drainage seals and pipes

October 3, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Will Young Voters’ Initial Excitement for Harris Build Enough Momentum to Get Them to the Polls?

September 25, 2024

Consumerism—and the Chemicals in All of Our Stuff—Is Thwarting the Transition From Fossil Fuels

February 12, 2025

Don't miss it

Climate Change

International Coalition Joins Push for Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty: ‘We Cannot Protect Nature While Expanding Fossil Fuels’

October 17, 2025
Activism

How a Declaration of Ancestral Wisdom Is Changing Law, Science and Our Understanding of the World

October 17, 2025
Activism

The Death Toll Is Rising from Ecuador’s Crackdown on Protesters

October 16, 2025
Activism

Montana Court Dismisses Youth-led Lawsuit Challenging Trump Executive Orders Boosting Fossil Fuels

October 16, 2025
News

Biodegradeable PCBs demonstrate operation at GHz frequencies

October 16, 2025
Activism

Illinois Residents Urge Lawmakers to Act on Transit, Energy Bills

October 15, 2025
Environmental Magazine

Environmental Magazine, Latest News, Opinions, Analysis Environmental Magazine. Follow us for more news about Enviroment and climate change from all around the world.

Learn more

Sections

  • Activism
  • Air
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Fossil Fuels
  • News
  • Uncategorized
  • Water

Topics

Activism Air Climate Change Energy Fossil Fuels News Uncategorized Water

Recent News

International Coalition Joins Push for Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty: ‘We Cannot Protect Nature While Expanding Fossil Fuels’

October 17, 2025

How a Declaration of Ancestral Wisdom Is Changing Law, Science and Our Understanding of the World

October 17, 2025

© 2023 Environmental Magazine. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water

© 2023 Environmental Magazine. All rights reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.