Measuring the Absorbed Electromagnetic Energy: 4 Applications of Photoacoustic Spectroscopy By CIOReview Team

Measuring the Absorbed Electromagnetic Energy: 4 Applications of Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

CIOReview Team | Wednesday, 27 February 2019, 06:34 IST

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Measuring the Absorbed Electromagnetic Energy: 4 Applications of  Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

Dating back to 1880 when Alexander Graham Bell made the important discovery that thin disks omitted sound when heated by a beam of sunlight, photoacoustic spectroscopy has become a valuable scientific technique for accurately studying and analyzing chemical compositions.

The technique involves using a laser and highly sensitive microphones to “hear” the concentrations of gases present in a sample.

The technique has been revealed to be so accurate that it can detect concentrations of gases at the level of parts per billion and even parts per trillion. Despite modern adjustments for accuracy, the entire principle is still founded on the methods discovered and applied by Alexander Graham Bell more than a century ago.

It is only in the last few decades that the full potential of photoacoustic spectroscopy has been fully unleashed, with the technique now being applied to a variety of scientific and manufacturing applications. These are four prominent uses for photoacoustic spectroscopy.

Emissions Monitoring Systems

As new government regulations dictate stringent emissions monitoring practices and pollution limits, photoacoustic spectroscopy has become a central part of source gas monitoring.

Manufacturing plants and factories use emissions monitoring systems to ensure they are in compliance with domestic and international regulations. These systems employ photoacoustic spectroscopy techniques to provide precise gas monitoring data.

Environmental Research

Photoacoustic spectroscopy has been employed to measure the quantities of nitric dioxide in the stratosphere. This practice has allowed researchers to detect man-made deterioration in the ozone layer and alerted the scientific community to the dangers of nitric oxide emissions.

Archaeology

The latest techniques in photoacoustic spectroscopy, using infrared lasers, has allowed the expansion of the practice to detect and quantify chemicals and compounds in liquid and solid samples.

This has led to significant developments in the field of archaeology. The established method for identifying chemical groups in archaeological biological samples was to take a small fragment of the sample, crush it to powder, and employ chemical treatments on the powder.

With new infrared lasers, photoacoustic spectroscopy can identify chemical groups present in the sample without the need to destroy the sample, leaving more biological discoveries intact and unmodified.

Military

The technique has a multitude of military applications. However, one area where the technique is making headway is in the detection of chemical nerve agents. Sensitive photoacoustic spectroscopy microphones can be deployed to detect the use of chemical weapons. They can identify precisely what trace chemicals were used in the chemical attack, as well as explosions, or medicines that have been prescribed in the wake of a chemical attack through breath analysis techniques.

Leakage Detection

As the cost of sensitive microphones decreases, one area where photoacoustic spectroscopy is tipped for expansion is within the realm of leakage detection. Carbon dioxide detectors using this technology are already commercially available. In the future, the technique could be extended to create a fully-integrated micro machine able to detect a wide variety of gases and chemicals.

The future is bright for this important scientific technique. With more applications being discovered annually, and the cost of microphones decreasing, expect to see it creep into commercial and retail products in the near future.

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