Semiconducting Sensors for Continuous Recording of Pollutants in Urban Atmospheres

Thin Film nanocrystalline SnO2 sensors are used to measure low concentrations of toxic gases in air. In particular these type of sensors can be used in urban environments in order to detect pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. Measurements have been carried out both in laboratory and in real urban atmospheres in parallel with conventional instrumentation using a portable measuring system. Laboratory results show a good sensitivity and reproducibility to both gases near the threshold alarm concentrations. The main problem found is the selectivity, i.e. the capacity of the sensor to differenciate the response to each gas. The target gases are differenciated by varying the operating temperature of the sensors. The influence of other oxidant gases such as NO and O3 and reducing gases such as water vapour has been also determined. The in field measurements showed good correlation between the sensor response to NO2 and the output of the chemiluminescence detector.

MANES Livio;  BEIRN B.;  SANTOS Joao;  SERRINI P.; 

1996-08-28

JRC13447

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC13447,