LASER ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY: A NEW PERSPECTIVE IN EMISSION MONITORING
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), poor air quality conditions were responsible of 4.2 million premature deaths in 2016. Air pollution has been associated to high levels of numerous diseases including cancer, heart disease, stroke and respiratory infections, besides having a harmful effect in the natural ecosystems. For this reason, worldwide governments are committed to establish clear policies to ensure clean, safe and a sustainable environment for present and future generations.
Although it is too soon to conclude the global situation with Covid -19, the scientifi c community is concentrating efforts to study the correlation between high levels of mortality and atmospheric pollution. For this reason, it is ever more important to develop reliable analytical techniques able to measure the atmospheric levels of air pollutants and their dynamism in short periods of time. C.I. Analytics has developed a laser based analyzer able to measure trace levels of gas impurities commonly found in the air. This paper presents an overview of the laser product and offers a solution to the stringent environmental monitoring at the forefront of new emerging technologies.
Introduction
Environmental policies have been implemented worldwide to reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to human activities, combustion of fossil fuels for energy generation, transportation and industry. Emissions sources include the residential, commercial and institutional, industrial, transportation and solid waste sectors.
Community greenhouse gas emissions for 2014 are estimated to have totalled 1.9 million tonnes of CO2
per person. The main contribution to greenhouse gas emissions are CO2
, H2 O, CH4 , and NOx
era, their composition went from traces to an exponential increasing from the 1800s to 2000s.
Within the gases contributing to atmospheric pollution, we may fi nd ground level ozone (O3
nitrogen oxides (also known as NOx
), sulfur oxides (SO2 ; NO2
and SO3 ),
compounds (VOC), carbon monoxide (CO) and ammonia (NH3 NH3
combines with sulfates and nitrates in the atmosphere to produce secondary particulate matter (PM2.5
and NO), volatile organic ) [1].
is mainly produced from livestock waste management and
fertilizer production. It has a pungent odour that if inhaled in great quantities generates irritation of the mucous membranes. NH3
), which is known to
, a highly reactive pollutant substance is an indicator of the traffi c pollution levels since this gas is emitted specially from the
present harmful effects on human health and the environment. NO2
Environmental monitoring after the pandemic in 2020
The pathogenic agent of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing the infectious disease Covid -19, fi rst reported in Wuhan, in the Hubei province in China at the end of 2019, has been a public health concern worldwide. Its effects have been refl ected in drastic changes of the contemporary human life. Global governments have had to take political and sanitary decisions to contend with the spread of the virus given the easy transmission amongst humans. The most signifi cant measure was the world-wide quarantine of cities and countries, which caused a radical reduction in travel to places of study or work, as well as a reduction of international fl ights. The travel restrictions reduced the fossil fuels consumption of civilizations and the result was less global environmental emissions.
Due to Covid-19 spreading fast during the fi rst two months of 2020, the WHO declared a global health emergency, forcing the local and central administrations to undertake drastic policies; for instance, imposing lockdown protocols controlling the movement of their citizens outside their domiciles to avoid the community transmission. As a result of the general paralysis of non-essential industries, industrial waste emissions released to the environment have decreased to a large extent. For the fi rst time, inhabitants of big cities experienced clear skies and an improvement of the air quality.
Figure N.1 Supplied “Global stocktake shows the 43 greenhouse gases driving global warming” The Conversation, May 31st, 2017, CSIRO & University of Melbourne,
P.Canadell & al.
Using cutting edge technology and satellite tracking, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and ESA
WWW.ENVIROTECH-ONLINE.COM IET ANNUAL BUYERS’ GUIDE 2020/21 combustion of fossil fuels. NO2 , or more than 8.8 tonnes . Due to human activity in an industrial has become one of the most
monitored substances since it is highly lethal to human health with either short or long term exposure. It is responsible for causing respiratory diseases at all stages of life. Methane (CH4
) has an
indirect human health effect since it is a precursor to ground- level ozone, which causes respiratory deceases and a signifi cant contributor to air pollution related deaths [2,3].
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