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 CCD high-reflectivity dielectric mirrors sample cell light source (Xe arc lamp) filters spectrograph Advantages: Long optical path through the sample → sensitivity Wide spectral region → selectivity, multiple target compounds Uses: Atmospheric monitoring and research: NO 2, O 3, NO 3, halogen oxides, SO 2, mercury Possibilities in medicine (breathanalysis), analytical sensors

ATMOSPHERIC INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT Chamber experiments and instrument intercomparison NO 3 NO 2 Aerosol extinction HONO 20 m Transmitter Receiver SAPHIR chamber

ATMOSPHERIC INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT Field instrument development Detection of halogen species: BrO, I 2, IO, OIO Halogen chamber

ATMOSPHERIC INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT Extending the method into the deep-UV Applications in in Hg detection and O 3 monitoring Continuous Emissions Monitoring

ATMOSPHERIC INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT 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