Ultrasensitive Acrolein Sensor for Environmental Monitoring

Picarro, Inc., will build a trace gas sensor based on cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS) targeting the acrolein absorption band at 1623 nm for environmental monitoring. Acrolein is a ubiquitous airborne pollutant. Its sources include burning vegetation (e.g., forest fires), waste incinerators, furnaces, fireplace, gasoline- and diesel-engine emissions, power plants, polyethylene combustion, cigarette smoke, and the cooking of food. Acrolein is extremely toxic to humans and is listed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of 33 hazardous air pollutants. Picarro intends to determine whether a sensor based on CRDS can be used to detect acrolein with a sensitivity of 1 ppb in the presence of H2O, CO2, CO, and other potential sources of interference in the atmosphere and in combustion exhaust. Picarro will measure the optical absorption spectrum of the 1623 nm band along with potential interferants. Picarro also will determine the performance characteristics of the sensor including precision, accuracy, linearity, and lower detectable limit.