Lehigh Southwest Cement Company has found a way to cut mercury emissions by as much as 90 per cent. The cement company’s new system uses activated carbon injection, a method that traps mercury within cement rather than releasing it into the air. The system takes mercury, a natural component of cement production, and binds it with limestone particles, essentially trapping the mercury inside the finished cement product. The company also announced it will install a continuous monitoring system in the fall so that emissions can be better analysed in real time. This system will help the company to adapt to the new EPA standards of the US Environmental Protection Agency. The standards will limit American cement companies’ mercury emissions to 55 pounds per 1 million tonne of clinker.