The Picarro SI2108 gas concentration analyzer can provide real-time monitoring of hydrogen chloride (HCl) at a parts-per-trillion (ppt) sensitivity for a variety of applications, including indoor and outdoor air quality, atmospheric science, and hazard assessment.

Atmospheric oxidation is dominated by the OH radical, although Cl atoms can play an important role under certain conditions.

EPA Method T0-11A EPA outlines practices for measuring formaldehyde using the 4,2-DNPH denuder method, subsequent derivatization, and analysis by HPLC. While the DNPH method has been a stalwart of air quality monitoring for decades, it provides only time-averaged exposure estimates (typically 8 or 24-hour), requires offline analysis at third-party labs, and continues to experience suspected bias effects associated with ozone and water vapor. Because values are reported significantly post-hoc, formaldehyde also cannot be integrated into air quality monitoring forecasts.

Oxygen (¹⁸O/¹⁶O) and deuterium (D/H) isotopes are a widespread tool to trace physical and chemical processes in hydrology and biogeosciences. Precision and throughput are key parameters for water isotope analysis. Here, we will present two new methodologies for the Picarro L2130-i Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) water isotope analyzer that allow the user to increase the throughput with compromising data quality.

Differentiating microbial, anthropogenic, and thermogenic sources of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) in background air is an important element of understanding
upper ocean ecosystem processes. Here we present isotopic data of carbon dioxide and methane from the Fleur de Passion sailing research vessel which traveled from Dakar (Senegal) to Carbo Verde, the Azores, and to France between April and October 2019 as part of the larger Ocean Mapping Expedition by the Geneva based NPO Fondation Pacifique.

Atmospheric concentrations of N₂O, CO₂and CH₄ are currently steadily increasing, and in the case of N₂O, the increase in emissions is mainly linked to the increased use of fertilizers in agricultural soils. Stable isotope analysis of these trace gases is a valuable tool to better understand production and consumption pathways in soils and this process understanding will ultimately help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from crop production.

•  The air quality inside vehicles is affected by the intake of polluted air and by outgassing of fabrics.
•  Airlabs developed a portable air cleaner, the airbubbl, to remove particulate matter, NO2 and other pollutants from air. A new filter was designed to also remove formaldehyde.
•  Here, we present the performance of the new formaldehyde filter, also in comparison to a range of different adsorbents and catalysts.

Photosynthesis is a complex process that consumes carbon dioxide and water to produce oxygen and glucose. Studies to investigate leaf-level photosynthetic activity have been conducted using systems that control certain parameters such as light intensity or partial pressure of CO2. For instance, the LI-COR LI‑6800 Portable Photosynthesis System enables the user to control and measure light, temperature, CO2 and water vapor concentrations.

Particulate matter affects more people than any other ambient air pollutant, leading to increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.  Levels of PM10 and PM2.5 in the developing world, especially southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, routinely exceed World Health Organization guidelines, often by a factor of 10 or more.  Despite their importance to poor air quality in urban areas in the developing world, the mechanisms that lead to heavy particulate loading are not well understood.

Oxygen is a major and vital component of the Earth atmosphere representing about 21% of its oomposition. It is consumed or produced through biochemical processes such as oombustion, respiration, and photosynthesis. Although atmospheric oxygen is not a greenhouse gas, It can be used as a top down constraint on the carbon cycle.The variation observations of oxygen in the atmosphere are very small, in the order of the few ppm's.

Photosynthesis and respiration of CO, by forests are two major unknowns in the global carbon cycle. They are the two largest and most variable fluxes, and their difference currently acts as a global net sink. With this project (2017-2020) we aim to provide new insights in the forest carbon balance by separately quantifying photosynthesis and respiration using atmospheric measurements. The method is based on the inverse relationship between oxygen (O,) and CO, which is different for photosynthesis and respiration (e.g. lshidoya et al., 2015).

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) gas is among the major contributors to global warming and ozone depletion in stratosphere. Quantitative estimate of N₂O production in various pathways and N₂O fluxes across different reservoirs is the key to understanding the role of N₂O in the global change. To achieve this goal, accurate and concurrent measurement of both N₂O concentration ([N₂O]) and its site-specific isotopic composition (SP-d¹⁵N), namely d¹⁵N-a and d¹⁵N-b, is desired.

In the last several years, economically motivated adulteration (EMA) of foods has received increased attention. Two popular targets are lemon juice and honey For both of these types of adulteration analyses, the FCC is evaluating the use of Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) to establish its suitability in comparison to the well established technique Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry IRMS)

Natural gas analysis and methane specifically have become increasingly important by virtue of methane’s 28-36x greenhouse warming potential compared to CO₂ and accounting for 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the US alone. Determining the specific fingerprint of methane sources by quantifying the ethane to methane (C2:C1) ratios provides us with means to understand processes yielding methane and allows for sources of methane to be mapped and classified through these processes; i.e. biogenic or thermogenic, oil vs. gas vs. coal gas-related.

High-precision greenhouse gas (GHG) measurements in remote locations are typically conducted by mobile labs that host cumbersome and high-power analyzers.
The GasScouter is a new generation of high-performance and low-power GHG analyzers.
In this poster, we introduce the GasScouter and present the results collected through various lab testing and field deployments to validate the performance of the analyzer.

Preservation and restoration of wetlands have the potential to help sequester large amounts of carbon due to the naturally high primary productivity and slow turnover of stored soil carbon. However, the anoxic environmental conditions present in wetland soils are also the largest natural contributor to global methane emissions. Therefore, uptake, storage, and loss of CO₂ and CH₄ need to be carefully considered when evaluating the climate effects of land-use change.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that has a short-term global warming impact. It comes from a variety of natural and anthropogenic sources which include wetlands, landfills, oil/gas/coal extraction activities and natural gas distribution leaks. Locating and containing these emissions are critical to minimizing their environmental impacts and economically beneficial when retrieving large fugitive amounts. Generally, methane detection is conducted by making real-time atmospheric measurement and identifying large variations from the typical atmospheric concentration of 2 ppm.

The necessity for constant monitoring of greenhouse gases (GHGs) is clearly evident now more than ever. Moreover, interpreting and understanding the processes that dictate the production and consumption of these gases will allow for proper management of GHGs in order to mitigate its detrimental climate effects. Presence of oxygen, or lack of it, is the driving force for determining pathways within biochemical redox reactions. Experiments to find correlations between oxygen and greenhouse gases have helped us understand photosynthesis, denitrification and beyond.

With a global warming potential of nearly 300, N2O is a critically important greenhouse gas, contributing about 5 % of the US total GHG  emissions.  Agriculture soil management practices are the dominant source of anthropogenic N2O emissions, contributing nearly 75 % of US N2O emissions.  In urban areas, vehicle tailpipe emissions and waste water treatment plants are significant sources of N2O.  We report here a new mid-infrared laser-based cavity ring-down spectrometer (Picarro G5310) that was recently developed to measure sub-ppb ambient concentrations of two key green

Soil flux chamber measurements are a key tool for determining production and sequestration of direct and indirect greenhouse gases. The Picarro G2508 Cavity Ring-down Spectrometer radically simplifies soil flux analyses by providing simultaneous measurements of five gases: CO2, CH4, N2O, NH3, and H2O, and by ready field deployment.

High-salinity waters such as Seawater poses an operational and maintenance challenge to the measurements of water stable isotopes via Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy. As liquid samples are evaporated in the vaporizer peripheral before being sent to the CRDS analyzer, salt precipitates accumulate in the vaporizer chamber. As a result, the sample-to-sample memory performance degrades over time and frequent cleaning is required to maintain the peripheral performance and integrity.

In a paper published by the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS), the drift performance of 47 Picarro analyzers of 3 different generations were compared (Yver Kowket al, Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., 8, 4219–4272, 2015). The results show that methane drift (the minimum of the Allan standard deviation) was much better in first-generation G1000 analyzers.

The recent development of a field deployable water isotope analyzer using CRDS technology was used to directly measure the vapor isotopes in real time and at multiple heights above the crop canopy. This technique was coupled with additional samples gathered using conventional techniques and a new xylem water extracting apparatus developed by the IAEA.

Describes a field campaign wherein a Picarro water isotope analyzer was used to measure isotopes in water vapor over a corn field in China for the purpose of studying evapotranspiration. The Picarro sampled vapor along with a cold trap sampling system and the real-time Picarro data was compared to offline analysis of the trapped vapor.

The world’s first continuous flow isotopic TIC/DOC-CRDS measurements are reported here with remarkable achieved precisions. A measurement precision of the isotopic ratio in the range of 0.2 ‰ to 0.4 ‰ was achieved in minutes of measurement time. Such precision readily distinguishes the isotopic DIC and DOC signatures from a set of three different streamwater samples collected from various sites in Northern California.

Hydrothermal fluids from two vent sites along the East Scotia Ridge, E2 and E9, were analyzed for their hydrogen and oxygen isotopic values using a Picarro L1115-i CRDS. The fluids display varying salinity, sulfate and hydrogen sulfide content. None of the samples analyzed in this work showed any signs of spectroscopic interference. Isotopic values of the fluids were combined with salinity, magnesium and silica measurements to determine the possible role of magmatic inputs and phase separation.

Cavity Ring-Down spectroscopy is becoming a gold standard for atmospheric monitoring. High sensitivity and precision coupled with low drift characteristics ensure optimal operation even in remote field stations or on aircraft and ships. However, current platforms have been limited to two or three species simultaneous observation.

The quantification of fugitive methane emissions from extended sources such as landfills is problematic due to the high temporal variability and spatial heterogeneity of the emission. Additionally, the relationship between the emission rate and the gas concentration at a given location is dependent on the meteorological conditions and local topography, preventing accurate quantification of the emission rate.

The regulation of Earth’s climate and its ability to sustain life are critically linked to water as it exists in all three of its phases (gas, liquid, and solid). Earth’s water cycle, its movement between the hydrosphere, biosphere, and the atmosphere, and how it undergoes phase changes, is incredibly complex. While we continue to gain insight into the water cycle, there remains considerable uncertainty in predicting the impacts of future climate change on fresh water supplies and the welfare of life on our planet.

While stable isotope techniques have been previously applied to partition evapotranspiration (ET) fluxes in crops, it has only recently become possible to take in situ, long-term, continuous (every 10 seconds) measurements of stable water vapor isotopologues.

Describes application and function of a the LIAISON, a new Picarro universal interface for high throughput analysis.

Describes use and methods for stable isotope-based food adulteration testing using Cavity Ring-Down Spectrometry.

Describes field work conducted with Picarro water isotope analyzer for both water vapor and liquid water samples.

Describes recent developments in CRDS instrumentation in the mid-infrared spectral region for applications using N2O isotopologue and trace concentration measurements.

Describes the flexibility of Picarro's fast water isotope analyzer for applications requiring very short sample-to-sample measurement times and shows data taken in lab and field measurements.

Describes recent developments in GC-C-CRDS-based instrumentation applied to isotope measurements in large molecules.

Describes a newly-developed analyzer for tracer-based measurements and shows results from field work using such a system.

Describes results from a Picarro N2O analyzer based in the mid-infrared spectral region.

Describes results of laboratory testing and field campaigns with Picarro's flight-ready greenhouse gas analyzer.

Describes field testing of Picarro's fast analyzer for eddy covariance flux measurements of greenhouse gases.

Describes liquid water and water vapor isotope measurements with the Picarro isotopic water analyzer.

Describes specific design aspects of WS-CRDS-based analyzers and how these details result in ultra-stable field measurements.

From the EGU 2009 General Assembly, describing measurements of edible oils and chocolates made with Picarro's iTOC-CRDS Isotopic Carbon Analyzer.

Describes work by INSTAAR, NOAA & Picarro on both liquid water and water vapor measurements of stable water isotopes.

Describes the first field data taken by Oregon State University of Picarro's dual-species Eddy-Covariance analyzer.

Describing work by CSIRO, CO2 CRC and Picarro to characterize sequestration site leaks using tracers and isotopes.