CleanAir Engineering validates stack ETO measurement feasibility with Picarro analyzer
July 27, 2020
By CCE
The toxic gas is now believed to be more dangerous than previously realized, calling for improvements in analytical instrumentation.
CleanAir Engineering has completed a feasibility study using the Picarro G2910 gas concentration analyzer to measure the hazardous air pollutant ethylene oxide (ETO) in real time, at detection limits of parts-per-trillion (ppt) from a stack.
While the mutagenic properties of ETO have been known since the 1940s, regulation of emissions and exposure limits has evolved over time. Today, while the toxic gas is an important chemical for the sterilization of medical equipment, it is also believed to be more harmful than previously realized, requiring analytical instrumentation to better characterize its risks.
In the feasibility study, CleanAir performed comparative measurements by applying the G2910 to a variety of process streams in a sterilization facility, including dry scrubbers, wet scrubbers and thermal oxidizers, as well as monitoring fugitive emissions and leaks in and around a chemical plant.
“Picarro’s technology allows our clients to make informed decisions based on reliable, rapid ETO measurements at extremely low levels,” says Volker Schmid, technical leader of CleanAir’s advanced monitoring solutions group.
