The project's specific objectives are:

  1. To develop, establish and implement a traceable calibration methodology for the most important oxidised mercury (Hg) species, especially for mercury chloride (HgCl2). This includes quantitative confirmation of the output of liquid evaporative HgCl2 generators and the development of transfer reference gas standards.
  2. To develop and compare different methods of measuring oxidised Hg and to accurately compare total mercury (Hgtot) concentrations in generated standard gases for elemental mercury Hg(0) and oxidised mercury (Hg(II)). This includes methods for bulk and species-specific [e.g. Hg(0) and Hg(II)] isotope ratio measurements to determine Hg migration pathways, its origin and species interconversion.
  3. To develop optimised sampling methods for gaseous Hg species using traceable reference standards for Hg(0) and Hg(II). Regarding species inter-conversion, different measurement methods and their long-term efficiency and reliability in different matrices will be taken into account.
  4. To test and validate new and existing methods for on-line Hg measurement under field conditions using the developed gas standards or generators. This will include measurement of Hg in stack emissions and in the atmosphere.
  5. To facilitate the take up of the technology and measurement infrastructure developed in the project across the measurement supply chain (accredited laboratories), standards developing organisations (such as CEN/TC264/WG8 and those linked to the IED 2010/75/EU, the Air Quality Directive 2004/107/EC and the Waste Incineration Directive 2000/76/EC) and end users (environmental monitoring, research community, regional and global programmes).