8-04-2018

Experiment # 08 Tuesday

Objective
To measure the concentration of CO in air sample using ambient CO monitor

Introduction
Carbon monoxide is a gas and is found in air. High level of CO is poisonous to humans, and unfortunately, it cannot
be detected by humans as it has no taste or smell or cannot be seen. The natural concentration of CO in air is
around 0.2 parts per million (ppm), and this amount is not harmful for humans. Natural source of CO includes
volcanoes and bushfires. The main source of additional carbon monoxide are motor vehicles exhaust and some
additional activities, such as making steel. It produces during incomplete combustion of any fuel like natural gas,
charcoal, gasoline, kerosene, wood, gas, oil or coal. Increased level of carbon monoxide reduces the amount of
oxygen carried by hemoglobin around the body in red cells. The result is that vital organs, such as brain, nervous
tissues and the heart, do not receive enough oxygen to work properly.
Because raised level of carbon monoxide can have significant impacts on human health, so some steps should be
taken to manage and reduce the amount of CO produced which cause air pollution. To preserve the air
environment, it is important to properly understand its state, which in turn requires an accurate and highly reliable
air pollution monitoring system. One of the aims of the measure is to keep the concentration of CO in air to less
than 9 ppm. For this purpose, ambient CO monitor is used to measure the conc. of CO in air.

Working Principle
Conventional technology uses an optical chopper to obtain modulation signals instead of this the monitor uses a
solenoid valve modulation. Fixed amount of the sample gas and reference gas are injected alternatively into the
measurement cell.
With the cross-flow modulation method, if the same gas is used for both the sample gas and the reference gas,
no modulation signal will be generated. So, analyzing minute amount of gas there is no generation of zero drift.
The reference gas is generated by purging the sample through an oxidation process, where an oxidation catalyst
burns the CO to CO2. These features eliminate interference from other elements, resulting in highly accurate
measurements. An additional advantage is that the elimination of rotary sectors precludes the need of optical
adjustment. These features assure greatly improved stability over long periods of measurements. A further
improvement is that in front of the chamber of the detector, the measurable components, including interference
components only are detected. By means of subtraction processing, the actual signal obtained is one that has only
very little interference influence.

Calibration
To obtain stable and accurate data, carry out the calibration procedure both when starting a measurement and
at regular intervals. There are two types of calibration: automatic (AIC) and manual. The AIC function executes the
AIC sequence or at specified intervals – or with either an external input or command – to carry out both the zero
and span calibration automatically. For automatic calibration (AIC), setup both the AIC sequence and AIC function.
The internal clock will start the calibration automatically. The calibration can also be started at any time by
pressing the AIC key on the CALIBRATION menu.
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Experiment # 08 Tuesday
Procedure
1. Switch on the COx measurement unit
2. Let it heat up for 4 hours
3. The heating is completed when the light stops blinking on the screen
4. After that let the unit ON for three hours and enter the air from the back through the duct
5. Note down the reading of Concentration of CO

Recommendations
1. The sitting area for students must be increased.
2. The instrument must be maintained properly to avoid systematic errors.

Sources of CO
Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that's produced during incomplete combustion of any fuel
like natural gas, charcoal, gasoline, kerosene, wood, gas, oil or coal. Common sources include:
A vehicle running in an attached garage
• Furnace
• Clothes dryer
• Range
• Oven
• Stove
• Fireplace
• Water heater
• Space heater
When there is enough fresh air in your home to allow for complete combustion and these appliances are vented
and work properly, in normal operating conditions, the trace amounts of CO produced by these sources are not
typically dangerous. However, there are common conditions that can cause CO levels to rise quickly:
• Appliance malfunction, i.e. the heat exchanger on your furnace cracks
• Vent, flue, or chimney is blocked by debris or even snow
• Fireplace, wood burning stove, charcoal grill or other source of burning material that is not properly
vented
• Vehicle is left running in an attached garage and carbon monoxide seeps into the house
Several appliances running at the same time and competing for limited fresh air can be a cause of carbon
monoxide buildup. This condition can result in incomplete combustion and produce CO, even if all appliances are
in good working condition.

Effect on Human Health

Carbon monoxide affects healthy and unhealthy people. Increased levels of carbon monoxide reduce the amount
of oxygen carried by hemoglobin around the body in red blood cells. The result is that vital organs, such as the
brain, nervous tissues and the heart, do not receive enough oxygen to work properly. No more than 2.5% of
8-04-2018
Experiment # 08 Tuesday
hemoglobin can be bound to carbon monoxide before some health effects become noticeable. At very high
concentrations of carbon monoxide, up to 40% of the hemoglobin can be bound to carbon monoxide in this way.
This level will almost certainly kill humans. For healthy people, the most likely impact of a small increase in the
level of carbon monoxide is that they will have trouble concentrating. Some people might become a bit clumsy as
their coordination is affected, and they could get tired more easily. People with heart problems are likely to suffer
from more frequent and longer angina attacks, and they would be at greater risk of heart attack. Children and
unborn babies are particularly at risk because they are smaller and their bodies are still growing and developing.

What's being done to manage carbon monoxide?

Because raised levels of carbon monoxide can have significant impacts on human health, the Government has
taken steps to manage and reduce the amount of carbon monoxide produced. Through the National Environment
Protection Council, the Australian, State and Territory Governments have also agreed on a National Environment
Protection Measure for Ambient Air Quality. The Measure includes national standards for six key pollutants,
including carbon monoxide. One of the aims of the Measure is to keep the concentration of carbon monoxide in
the air to less than 9 ppm.