Heavy Metals in the Cement Industry: A Look at Volatile Cycles and Simple Mitigation Techniques

Cement producers using hazardous waste fuels have monitored heavy metals emissions for some time now. Due to recent changes in environmental regulations, emissions of heavy metals, specifically mercury, have become a subject of greater concern in plants that do not use hazardous waste. This paper provides a review of the recent attempt to limit mercury emissions and discusses the practical implications. It further summarizes the behavior of several heavy metals and discusses whether or to what extent the emission may be reduced by simple means.