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Compost & Soil Gas Testing: 3 Inexpensive Solutions

Most of us who live in the city think of soil as “dirt.” However, soil is actually a living environment of underground plants, animals, and microorganisms that, like humans, need food, water and oxygen to survive.

Soil gas testing is the process of measuring oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, radon, and other gases in soil. For example, large-scale composters monitor the gases inside long, narrow piles of plant material and manure called wind-rows. The right combination of moisture, temperature, oxygen and CO2 is required to feed the aerobic microbes that turn the materials into compost. Alternatively, biologists measure CO2 or methane gassing from fields or wetlands for long term environmental studies.

To measure compost or soil gas testing, here are 3 inexpensive solutions. Each of them rely on the fact that soil is porous, and over time the gas inside the tube will match the atmosphere in the soil.

soil gas test probeGas Vapor Probe

A Gas Vapor Probe provides the most scientific method for measuring soil gases. While you can purchase $2,500-$4,500 professional kits with an electric bore-hole drill that will reach virtually any depth, this $350 hand-held probe from AMS provides an inexpensive solution for shallow soil or compost pile testing. Either of these probes will work with our CO2+CH4 Sampling Data Logger or our CO2 Sampling Data Logger for soil gas testing. the built-in sampling pump will evacuate the tubing after a few seconds, and you can get an accurate measurement of the soil gas levels at the probe tip.

co2 gas testing stationPermanent Sampling Holes

For clients who need to monitor several soil gas stations over time, an inexpensive solution is to build your own monitoring station with PVC pipe. This station can be built for about $40 in parts. After the sampling hole is dug to the desired depth, a capped PVC pipe with a Locking Vapor Extraction Plug mounted to the top provides a low-cost, permanent station. With the vapor plug, you will not contaminate the gas inside the pipe with outdoor air. When you are ready to take a sample, attach the tubing, open the air lock, and take a reading with any of our hand-held sampling meters.

cheap soil gas testingShallow Sampling Container

For long-term data logging in shallow soil, you can use a 1% CO2 Data Logger mounted under a leak-proof container. Dig a hole to the desired depth, mount the data logger inside the container using double-sided Velcro, and bury the container in the hole securely. The 1% CO2 Data Logger with 6,000mAh Li-Ion batteries and the optional hydrophobic filter kit can record CO2, temperature and %RH levels for up to 6 months on a single charge.

Measuring CO2 in Exhaled Breath to Help Save Lives

Capnography is the measuring and monitoring of the carbon dioxide levels in exhaled breath. In healthy individuals, the difference between the CO2 exhaled and CO2 levels in arterial blood are proportional. Therefore, by monitoring the waveform of CO2 levels on a capnogram (an electronic capnography monitor) over time, medical personnel like anesthesiologists or paramedics can use the information to monitor a patient. Sudden changes in end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2, the level of carbon dioxide released at the end of expiration) may signify changes in a patient’s heart or lung functions.

Non-dispersive infra-red (NDIR) CO2 sensors are at the heart of virtually every capnogram. Their small size and relatively fast response time make them perfect for portable devices.

SprintIR®-W 100% CO2 Sensor - CO2 Meter

For example, our SprintIR 20Hz CO2 sensor has set a new benchmark as the fastest, most accurate CO2 sensor on the market. Capable of taking up to 20 readings per second, it is up to 10 times as fast as competing products. Medical equipment manufacturers worldwide are evaluating this sensor to use in their next generation of products.

And while capno-grams are used by anesthesiologists and EMS personnel today, even more exciting uses as clinical evaluation tools are being tested. Capnography may help to test for asthma, heart failure, diabetes, and more.

CO2 Sensor ABC Calibration Explained

The ABC - Automatic Background Calibration algorithm allows the CO2 sensor to dynamically shift its CO2 reading by a constant.

CO2 Important to Large-Scale Poultry Farming

Poultry is the most-consumed meat in both the United States and worldwide. Much of this expansion is due to the growth of large-scale production methods capable of delivering birds – especially chicken - to consumers at relatively low prices.

Bulk carbon dioxide has become an integral part of the booming poultry industry. In fact, at virtually every stage of a chicken's life-cycle, CO2 is used to maximize production. CO2Meter has had the opportunity to work with many producers in the industry, and we’ve developed an understanding of how our products are used.

• It starts with egg incubation. Using CO2 as a blanket gas over the eggs helps regulate overall temperature, resulting in fewer "early peeps". Many of our clients use our 1% CO2 Transmitter/Controller to monitor and control the CO2 levels.

• For eggs used in vaccine production, a virus is inserted into an egg, incubated, harvested, then inactivated. This process requires carbon dioxide levels in the 5-11% range, which can be achieved using our 30% CO2 controller in a NEMA4 enclosure

• Once the eggs have hatched, thousands of chicks are shipped from hatcheries to growers in trucks. Temperature and CO2 levels inside the trucks are logged for insurance purposes using our Remote CO2 Data Logger with the head unit inside the cab and the transmitter in the truck's trailer. 

• Chicks metabolize their food more slowly under high-CO2 levels. By regulating CO2, growers can shorten the time it takes to transform the chicks into broilers or egg laying hens. Many of our clients use the 1% CO2 IAQ Transmitter/Controller to maximize the balance between production and energy efficiency. 

• Once it is time for slaughter, CO2 is used in controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS) as a humane alternative to electrical stunning. The birds are placed in a portable unit or a sealed building that is flooded with CO2. Unconsciousness occurs at 40% CO2 levels within seconds, and death occurs at 65% CO2 concentration. To monitor high CO2 levels – and to protect farm workers from accidental leaks, our clients use 100% CO2 Sample Draw Meters.

CO2 Sampling Data Logger

• In poultry waste decomposition, Industrial ammonia fixed detectors play a crucial role in maintaining safety and ensuring optimal conditions in poultry farms. Because Ammonia (NH₃) is a common byproduct of poultry waste, if not properly managed, can reach levels that are harmful to both the poultry and farm workers. For this reason, industrial fixed ammonia gas detectors are critical for any workers near and around high concentrations of ammonia (NH3)

• Packaged poultry maintains its shelf-life longer using CO2 for modified atmosphere processing (MAP). Vacuum-sealed packages of poultry get up to 20% more shelf life by replacing the normal air in packages with CO2. To test the atmosphere inside packages, we offer the iSense CO2 & Oxygen MAP Inspection Station. This unit allows spot-check verification of sealed packaging equipment.

CO2 monitors for poultry farms

CO2 meters, sensors, transmitters, data loggers, monitors

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