18 Water / Wastewater


Flow Meter Reliability Critical for On-line Analysers Servicing the Oil and Gas Industry


Titan Enterprises’ Oval Gear (OG) fl ow meters have been an intrinsic component within Icon Scientifi c’s on-line analysers for over 10 years.


Serving the oil and gas industries, Icon Scientifi c are a specialist designer and manufacturer of physical property on-line analysers used in refi neries, crude oil processing, LNG, LPG and offshore applications. The real-time analysers are connected to a process and measure certain physical properties, such as colour, viscosity, distillation, fl ash point, vapour pressure, cold properties, etc.


Innovative online analytical instruments permit continuous process control, enhancing process effi ciency, increasing productivity, improving product quality and safe storage, and enabling real-time decision-making.


Dave Thompson, Icon Scientifi c’s Engineering and Development Director, comments: “Our on- line analysers offer highly reliable, accurate and automated measurement solutions, adhering to international standards.”


“The challenge”, Dave suggests, “was Icon needed a liquid fl owmeter that was highly reliable to operate within our precision analysers. We chose Titan’s OG1 model with the reed switch sensor that interfaces with our advanced software and we enclose this within an explosion proof casing.”


Titan’s OG Series fl ow meters are designed to give reliable, high performance across a wide range of applications. Almost immune from the effects of varying liquid viscosity, density and temperature, the measurement performance of these oval gear fl owmeters improves as liquid viscosity increases, making them ideal for the chemical, biofuel and petrochemical industry.


Neil Hannay, Senior R&D Engineer with Titan Enterprises says: “Titan’s oval gear fl ow


measuring devices are an ideal low-cost component for OEM applications, combining durable materials, robust design and proven technology to ensure they will have a long product life with reliable, accurate operation throughout.”


“We’re a tightly focused organisation,” adds Dave, “pushing the boundaries of what’s achievable in our fi eld and so working with a comparable organisation such as Titan with the same outlook, is very desirable.”


As software capabilities and technological advancements continue for these sophisticated online process analysers, the demand for fl ow monitoring devices that perform well with a variety of fl uid viscosity levels and at lower fl ow rates increase. “Although Titan’s 800 series turbine fl owmeters and our Atrato® ultrasonic meter range are ideal for low fl ows down to 2ml/min, they are not explosion proof,” explains Neil. “Working with OEMs such as Icon, our R&D team are pushing the fl ow range boundaries of our oval gear meters with the aim of adding a more compact, lower fl ow unit to our oval gear range.”


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Minamata Bay: The Fatal Diff erence Between Mercury and Methylmercury TALKING POINT


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Minamata Bay, situated in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, is the site of one of the world’s most infamous cases of industrial pollution. The devastating consequences of the release of methylmercury into the environment in the 1950s and 1960s led to a severe outbreak of Minamata disease, a debilitating neurological disorder. The tragic events that unfolded in Minamata Bay illustrate the fatal diff erence between mercury and its organic form, methylmercury. This article delves into the chemical properties and implications for toxicology of these two compounds for a specialist scientifi c audience.


Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring heavy metal that exists in various forms, including elemental mercury (Hg^0) and inorganic mercury compounds (Hg^1+ and Hg^2+). Elemental mercury is a liquid at room temperature, and its high vapor pressure causes it to readily evaporate into the atmosphere. Inorganic mercury compounds, such as mercuric chloride (HgCl2) and mercurous chloride (Hg2Cl2), can be toxic upon ingestion, inhalation, or dermal exposure, but their solubility and bioavailability are generally lower compared to organic mercury compounds.


Methylmercury (CH3Hg+) is an organic form of mercury produced through the methylation of inorganic mercury by anaerobic microorganisms, predominantly in aquatic environments. The process involves the transfer of a methyl group (-CH3) from a methyl donor molecule to the mercury ion (Hg^2+), forming the highly toxic and bioavailable methylmercury cation. Methylmercury is lipophilic and can readily pass through biological membranes, enabling it to accumulate in the fatty tissues of organisms.


Methylmercury’s lipophilic nature and resistance to degradation make it prone to bioaccumulation in living organisms. Through the process of biomagnifi cation, methylmercury concentrations increase as it moves up the food chain. In aquatic ecosystems, small organisms, such as phytoplankton and zooplankton, take up methylmercury from their surroundings. These organisms are then consumed by larger aquatic species, and so forth, eventually leading to high concentrations of methylmercury in top predators like large fi sh and marine mammals.


Methylmercury is a potent neurotoxin that targets the central nervous system. It can easily cross the blood-brain barrier, and its lipophilic nature allows it to accumulate in brain tissue, leading to neurotoxic eff ects. Methylmercury exposure is particularly hazardous during fetal development, as it can readily cross the placenta and cause severe neurological damage to the developing fetus.


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Methylmercury-induced neurotoxicity primarily results from its ability to bind to sulfhydryl groups on proteins, disrupting cellular function and causing oxidative stress. Methylmercury can also interfere with neurotransmitter release, impair cellular respiration, and disrupt the function of membrane ion channels.


The Chisso Corporation, a chemical manufacturing company in Minamata, released industrial wastewater containing inorganic mercury into Minamata Bay from 1932 to 1968. Bacteria in the bay’s sediment converted the inorganic mercury into methylmercury, which then accumulated in fi sh and shellfi sh. Local residents, who relied on seafood as a dietary staple, unknowingly consumed methylmercury-contaminated fi sh, leading to the outbreak of Minamata disease.


Minamata disease is characterized by severe neurological symptoms, including ataxia, tremors, muscle weakness, and sensory disturbances. It can also cause neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as cognitive impairment, emotional instability, and memory loss. In severe cases, Minamata disease can lead to paralysis, coma, and ultimately, death. The outbreak in Minamata Bay had particularly devastating consequences for pregnant women, as methylmercury exposure during pregnancy resulted in infants being born with congenital Minamata disease, which manifested as severe mental and physical disabilities.


The disaster in Minamata Bay served as a catalyst for environmental and public health policy reform in Japan and around the world. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Japan implemented stringent regulations on industrial pollution, and monitoring of mercury levels in the environment and food supply became a priority. Internationally, the Minamata Convention on Mercury was adopted in 2013 as a global treaty aimed at reducing mercury pollution and protecting


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human health and the environment from the adverse eff ects of mercury.


The Minamata Bay disaster also underscored the importance of understanding the toxicological diff erences between mercury and methylmercury. While both compounds can be toxic, the bioaccumulation and biomagnifi cation properties of methylmercury make it far more dangerous, particularly in aquatic ecosystems. The outbreak of Minamata disease demonstrated the catastrophic consequences of releasing methylmercury into the environment and serves as a stark reminder of the need for ongoing research, monitoring, and regulation to prevent similar disasters in the future.


The events that transpired in Minamata Bay highlight the critical diff erence between mercury and methylmercury, both in terms of their chemical properties and toxicological eff ects. As a potent neurotoxin, methylmercury poses signifi cant risks to human health, particularly during fetal development. The Minamata Bay disaster emphasized the importance of understanding these risks and implementing comprehensive environmental and public health policies to mitigate the impact of mercury pollution. The legacy of Minamata Bay serves as a cautionary tale for the scientifi c community and the world at large, reminding us of the importance of vigilant monitoring and regulation to prevent future catastrophes.


IET SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2023


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