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Mercury Avoidance in Collecting and Displacing Gas Samples¹

Department of Dairy Husbandry, University of Missouri, Columbia

ABSTRACT

Gas samples of expired air collected during metabolism measurements (1) or gas samples from other sources are usually obtained at atmospheric pressure. When samples are brought to the laboratory for analysis they must be transferred to a gas analyzer without becoming contaminated with room air. The usual procedure is to displace the sample gas into the analyzer with mercury.

Mercury, however, is very easily splashedor spilled and it is difficult to recover after it spreads out in fine droplets. In the aggregate these droplets present a large evaporative surface. The resulting mercury vapor is a hazard to health (2). Also, liquid mercury may accidentally be drawn into electronic analyzers and cause great damage.

The apparatus shown and described in Figure 1 completely eliminates the need for mercury in the collection, 1a, and displacement, 1b, of gas samples. The pressurized 750—ml container provides a minimum of 300 ml of Contribution from the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station. Journal Series No. 2819.sample gas for analysis before the out-flow from the container reduces the pressure of the sample gas to the atmosphere level. Additional volume of sample gas may be withdrawn from the collecting tube with a vacuum-pressure pump.