Abstract: Method and apparatus for first converting energy pulses, such as from the energy-dispersive detector of an emission spectroscopy system, into multiple ramp signals, the ramps of which are parallel with the vertical distance between the ramps being proportional to energy pulse height. Digital samples of the ramps are taken and, from the known slope of the ramps, the vertical distance or difference may be determined using a least-squares algorithm. This value is the absolute amplitude pulse value.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for detection of mercury vapor present in environmental atmosphere for the purpose of detecting the degree of environmental mercury pollution that might be present. Environmental air is passed through a bed of fibrous material such as glass wool, the fibers of which are coated with a noble metal, such as silver, capable of extracting mercury vapor from the environmental air. The bed of fibrous material may be placed within a heating chamber where sufficient heat is applied to drive off the collected mercury and a clean and perhaps inert gasiform fluid, such as clean air, nitrogen, argon, etc. is passed through the heating chamber to serve as a carrier for mercury vapor that is driven off of the bed of fibrous material. The mercury vapor laden carrier gas is then cooled and the mercury vapor present in the gas is collected by passing the gas through a screen of nylon mesh that is also coated with the noble metal.