The Fumigation Monitor Company
Integrated Fumigation Monitoring &Web
Based Data Acquisition
Methyl Bromide & Alternatives Conference
Surabaya, Indonesia
PART 1 of 2
History of Fumigation Gas Monitors form Spectros Instruments
Year
1996
Fumigation Gas
Ethylene Oxide
Development Partners
Johnson & Johnson
1998
Phosphine
Lorillard; RJR
2004
Sulfuryl Fluoride
Dow Chemical
2005
Methyl Bromide
USDA APPROVED
2009
Ethanedinitrile
Linde
Fumigation Gas Monitors
Methyl Bromide
Phosphine
Sulfuryl Fluoride
Delivered
Ethanedinitrile (Cyanogen)
Ethylene Oxide
Ethyl Formate
Hydrocyanic Acid
Formaldehyde
Ethyl Formate
MITC
Dichloroprene
Propylene Oxide
Methyl Iodide
Chloropicrin
Evaluated
Fumigant Infrared Spectra:
Unique “Fingerprint” for Real Answers
SO2F2
CH3Br
PH3
CO2
How Does Spectros Instrument’s
Measure Concentrations?
Beer’s Law
A=LC
Absolute Laws of Physics
=log(Io/I)
 = Absorptivity
Is a constant
L = Pathlength
Is a constant
C = Concentration
Solve for this
Absorbance
A= Absorbance
Optical Filter
Our Advantage: Years of Continuous Use
Spectros Sensor =NO GAS CONTACT=Long Life
There are no moving parts .
Other Monitors’ Sensors contact gas=Consumed=Short Life
Why Monitor a Fumigation?
 Dosage is not concentration
 Quality of fumigation product i.e. phosphine tablets
 No reaction is 100% quantitative conversion
 Leakage from the structure…IS IT SEALED?
 Sorption of gas from free space onto product
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
Fumigation Monitors for ISPM-15 Wood Packaging Materials
Multiple Presentations Rome, Italy
Conclusion: ISPM15
(I)nternational (S)tandards for (P)hytosanitary (M)easures #15.
International Plant Protection Convention, a part of the United Nation's
Food and Agriculture Organization.
“If you are not monitoring you are not fumigating”
Why Are ALL Fumigation Gas
Measurements Wrong Unless they Have
Pressure, Temperature & Flow Correction?
Easy to Get 20-25% Total Error with Other Monitors
 Different Temp and Pressure on Day of Calibration Vs. Day of USE?
• a 1% error is observed for every 3C uncorrected temperature change
• a fixed error of 1% for every 7.6 mm change in pressure
• Errors can easily be 4 g/M3 which is 7% in a 55g/M3 fumigation.
 Fumiscope and other thermoconductivity monitors will register at least
a 12 g/M3 FALSE response for every 1% of CO2 present.
• Reading of higher levels than actually present leads to under-dosage
 Pump draw rates change sample pressures which changes sample density.
• Different sample line lengths change pump pressure changing gas density
Monitor Platform
 Unmatched Accuracy
 Long Life Use
 Modular Design
 Rugged Construction
 Simple Operation
 Maximum Flexibility
 Total Reliability
 FAST PAY-BACK
Standards Supported
Certified Calibration Verification Online/Remotely
Diagnostic Screen
Zone length >0100FT
Active zone, purge, or press. check >01 ZONE
DIAGNOSTIC DATA
01 LOC
MODBUS
DET 4.2500V
IR detector output, volts
AVE 4.2500V
ZERO 4.2500V
Detector noise figure > NOISE 0.0000V
IR measurement units >
AVEAU 0.00000
Sample concentration,
UM/L
0.000B
0.000AMB
in IR detector (Bench)
PPM
0.0B
0.0STP
MEBR A NOW
ZERO DELTA
System temperatures
BENCH 25.50C 25.50C 0.00C
BOX 25.00C 25.00C 0.00C
PRES 13.25PSIA -0.75 DP
System pressures
VAC 2.50PSIA -11.5 DP
AMB 14.00PSIA 10.83 DV
FAULT0000 1.000X TC0.0000
Exit
Diag
screen
Clear
Modbus data
Initiate
Purge cycle
Modbus packet traffic
appears here, when
RS485 is enabled and
active.
Concentration at
ambient P&T and STP
Change since last re-zero
Change since last P check
Current fault code Concentration Detector comp
(Flagged with “F”) correction due since last zero
to temperature
Switch to
next zone
Toggle pump
on/off
Press to store
current as zero
400 Series
Spectros Instruments’ Monitors are
calibrated to absolute laws of physics
PV=nRT (Validate Any Time) with precise
molar concentrations and compensate for
ambient Pressure , Gas Flow &Temperature
with onboard sensors.
Phosphine
PH3
Electrochemical Sensor Chemical Reaction
PH3+4H20H3PO4+8H++8e-
Sensor is Consumed
Cross sensitivity to other gases .Typical interferences include
CO ; H2 ; SO2 ; H2S ; CO2
350
PH3 [ppm] .
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
0:00:00 12:00:00 24:00:00 36:00:00 48:00:00 60:00:00 72:00:00 84:00:00
Time (hours since beginning of fumigation)
In-Transit Fumigations
Alarm
NEW Handheld
Phosphine
Monitor
•
•
•
•
•
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Up to 5000PPM Reading
NDIR Based
Onboard Data Storage
Unmatched Accuracy
NDIR Technology
Long Life Use
Price Competitive
Low Level Phosphine Fixed Installations
Thank You
Dennis Glennon Ph.D.
Chief Technology Officer
Spectros Instruments, Inc.
17D Airport Road
Hopedale, MA USA
Office 508.478.1648
Direct 508.579.6301
dglennon@spectrosinstruments.com