Keeping an eye on greenhouse gas
The device uses a laser diode spectrometer and associated computer software to measure concentrations of carbon dioxide in a sample of gas. It is capable of achieving a very high level of accuracy in little over ten seconds. Alternatively, it can also take up to ten readings per second with a somewhat reduced accuracy, allowing it to monitor rapid changes in carbon dioxide concentration. Not only is this new system faster and more sensitive than existing alternatives, it is also simpler to use. For instance, it automatically measures and compensates for the temperature, pressure and humidity of the gas it samples, rendering such processes as dehydration of the sample unnecessary. The system has obvious applications in the monitoring of global warming, the so-called ‘greenhouse effect', thought to be caused by increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It also has certain diagnostic medical applications. Moreover, its potential for modification, renders it capable of detecting other gases, raises the possibility of many further uses in the future.
