New Air Quality Innovations From Air Monitors

Air Monitors (Tewkesbury) has announced the launch of two new ambient air quality monitoring instruments. “Highly innovative technology is employed within these monitors for improved accuracy and reliability,” says Managing Director Jim Mills. “The Model 211 and the Model 405, both from 2B Technologies, employ USEPA Federal Equivalent Methods for the interference-free measurement of Ozone and NO2 respectively.”

The 2BTech 405 is a direct reading Nitrogen Dioxide analyser. In contrast with chemiluminescence instruments where NO2 is converted to NO with variable efficiency, the Model 405 measures nitrogen dioxide directly by absorbance at 405 nm. Importantly, this new absolute method requires much less power than traditional techniques and is smaller and lighter too.

Measurement modes include NO2 only; NO only; NO2, NO and NOx with ranges of 0-10,000 ppb for NO2 and 0-2,000 ppb for NO. Resolution is 0.1 ppb and accuracy is 2 ppb or 2% of reading, whichever is greater.

The 2BTech 211 measures ozone with a proven UV absorption method and a patented gas-phase titration technique. In combination, these technologies provide measurements that are virtually free of interferences – a major advantage in situations with high levels of particulates, mercury, or VOCs. The enhanced optical path length of 30 cm provides a precision of better than 0.5 ppb for 10-second measurements, and accuracy is 1.0 ppb or 2% of reading, whichever is greater. “Traditional ozone monitors use a solid-state chemical scrubber to remove ozone as part of the measurement method,” comments Jim MiIls. “The 211 uses an NO (nitric oxide) source to specifically titrate and remove the ozone. This gives more accurate measurements because the monitor does not suffer from the interferences that affect conventional scrubber based technologies.”

Both of the 2BTech analysers have options for Bluetooth wireless data transmission and battery powered operation, which makes them ideal for both fixed and portable applications.

Summarising Jim Mills says: “The rapid growth that Air Monitors has achieved in recent years is due in no small part to our ability to match innovation with customer needs, and these new products are good examples of that process.”