Mercury capture systems and methods of making and using the same

A mercury capture system that captures mercury escaping from a gold or silver amalgam during heating of the amalgam, said mercury capture system comprising:

• at least one conduit extending between (i) a mercury vapor source comprising a heated gold or silver amalgam and (ii) a first outlet of said mercury capture system;
• a fan positioned at the first outlet of said mercury capture system;
• and
• a mercury vapor collecting vessel (i) positioned between and (ii) in fluid communication with the mercury vapor source and the first outlet of said mercury capture system,
• wherein the mercury capture system reduces an amount of mercury within a first outlet fluid passing through the at least one conduit from proximate the mercury vapor source and exiting the first outlet of said mercury capture system to a level of less than about 100,000 ng/m3 of the first outlet fluid,
• wherein said at least one conduit comprises a middle connecting section positioned between the mercury vapor source and the mercury vapor collecting vessel, and
• wherein said middle connecting section comprises a baffle box, said baffle box comprising one or more baffle plates therein, and each baffle plate comprising a plurality of apertures extending through and providing multiple air flow channels through a given baffle plate.