Environmental Sensors and Environmental Monitoring in the Green Economy Dean Venables.

Environmental Sensors and

Environmental Monitoring in the Green Economy

Dean Venables

THE GREEN ECONOMY?“[An economy] that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities”

(UNEP working definition of a Green Economy)

Environmental monitoring helps to identify and quantify adverse effects on human well-being and on the environment

AIR QUALITY

CLIMATE CHANGE

AIR QUALITY

London’s killer Smog of December 1952

What’s the verdict on Harney?DR DONAL O’SHEA: Consultant endocrinologist and campaigner on obesity

“Achievements : In the context of positive impact on health, it was something she did in another department. The smokeless fuel legislation she introduced while in the Department of the Environment had a huge impact, and within one year winter hospital admissions for chest infections were significantly down.”

Irish Times, February 2011

John Tyndall

CLIMATE CHANGE

ATMOSPHERIC INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT

IBBCEAS – A powerful and flexible gas sensor

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

600 620 640 660 680 700 720

Wavelength [nm]

Inte

nsi

ty

[co

un

ts]

high-reflectivitydielectric mirrors

sample cell

light source(Xe arc lamp) filters

spectrograph

Advantages:Long optical path through the sample → sensitivityWide spectral region → selectivity, multiple target compounds

Uses:Atmospheric monitoring and research:

NO2, O3, NO3, halogen oxides, SO2, mercuryPossibilities in medicine (breathanalysis), analytical sensors


Chamber experiments and instrument intercomparisonNO3

NO2

Aerosol extinction

HONO

20 m

Transmitter

Receiver

SAPHIR chamber


Field instrument developmentDetection of halogen species:

BrO, I2, IO, OIOHalogen chamber


Extending the method into the deep-UVApplications in in Hg detection and O3 monitoring Continuous Emissions Monitoring


Mexico City smog

Atmospheric monitoring is crucial to promoting and

protecting people and the environment:

Give advanced warning on the state of the

environment and environmental changes

Link pollutants with public health & ecosystem health

New devices are necessary

Commercial potential of new devices

CONCLUSIONS

PEOPLE

My group & other members of the laboratory

the Laser Spectroscopy Group

Colleagues at the

FUNDING

Environmental Protection Agency

EU FP7 (EUROCHAMP2)

Science Foundation Ireland

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Environmental Sensors and Environmental Monitoring in the Green Economy Dean Venables.

Documents

Transcript of Environmental Sensors and Environmental Monitoring in the Green Economy Dean Venables.