LGR Introduces Portable Carbonyl Sulfide Gas Analyzer

Published on May 18, 2012 at 5:08 AM

By Kalwinder Kaur

Los Gatos Research (LGR), a manufacturer of precision instruments for measurement of trace isotopes and gases, has introduced a portable analyzer for measurement of carbonyl sulfide (OCS or COS) at stratospheric and atmospheric concentrations.

LGR OCS Analyzer

The ultra-sensitive analyzer can also measure carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and water (H₂O) simultaneously. The analyzer provides rapid, automated, direct and real-time measurement of OCS with high precision in terms of parts-per-trillion. It can be used easily in laboratory environments and on the field due to its simplified operation that does not require pre-treatment or sample drying.

The OCS analyzer can be used along with LGR’s others accessories, such as wireless and Ethernet connectivity, multiport inlet unit and data logging software for remote monitoring applications. The gas analyzers are based on LGR’s patented cavity-enhanced laser absorption technique named as Off-axis Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy (OA-ICOS) technology. This technology does not require sub-nanometer stability or ultra-precise alignment of its optics and this helps it deliver better precision than the normal cavity ringdown spectroscopy technology. This also leads to better reliability, linearity and accuracy. It does not require frequent maintenance.

During respiration, plants take in OCS and CO₂ and during photosynthesis they generate CO₂. OCS concentrations are considered to be beneficial for assessment of photosynthesis activity that occurs in plant canopies. Simultaneous logging of OCS and CO₂ will aid in monitoring the net photosynthetic production. The global average presence of OCS is only around 500 parts per trillion and hence high sensitivity is required for measuring the concentrations.