What are Oxygen Deficiency Monitors?

What is an Oxygen Deficient Environment?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines an environment in which oxygen levels fall below 19.5 percent as an oxygen-deficient atmosphere, which should be treated as immediately dangerous to health or life. When there is not enough oxygen in the air, persons within the affected area may become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate due to the lack of sufficient oxygen.

An oxygen-deficient environment may be created when oxygen is displaced by inert gases, such as nitrogen, helium, argon, or carbon dioxide. Therefore, manufacturers and other organizations utilizing inert gases in their operations need to successfully navigate complex working environments in which high concentrations of such gases may be critical to production procedures, but where the risks of oxygen deficiency may pose a potential safety hazard for their employees.

Fortunately, by utilizing a top-quality oxygen deficiency monitor, facility managers can maintain stringent processing requirements, as well as protect the health and safety of their personnel.

What is an Oxygen Deficiency Monitor?

An oxygen deficiency monitor is a device that measures oxygen levels in a particular area. By continuously tracking oxygen levels, oxygen deficiency monitors are designed to detect gas leaks from oxygen-depleting gases before employee health is jeopardized.

A number of gases, including nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, and argon, among others, are odorless, colorless, oxygen-depleting gases. As such, unless they are using a reliable oxygen deficiency monitor, personnel would likely be unable to detect a gas leak should one occur in a gas cylinder or line.

Which Industries Should Use Oxygen Deficiency Monitors?

Oxygen deficiency monitors contribute to safe working environments in any scientific or industrial application utilizing oxygen-depleting gases and, therefore, requiring continuous monitoring of oxygen levels. For instance:

• The medical industry uses inert gases for a variety of purposes, including MRI facilities, performing cryosurgery, in-vitro fertilization, and cryostorage facilities, and for blood and tissue preservation, while laboratories typically use compressed gases including argon, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.
• Pharmaceutical manufacturers depend upon gases such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide to maintain sterile environments throughout the drug manufacturing and packaging processes.
• The food and beverage industries rely on carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas for a range of uses. By way of example, carbon dioxide carbonates beverages in bars, fast-food establishments, and restaurants, and it is a critical component in the productions of soft drinks and beer. Nitrogen gas is important in food preservation processes, where it is used to remove oxygen from the manufacturing environment, extend product shelf life, and decrease the likelihood of spoilage.
• Semiconductor fabricators and foundries must closely monitor process gas levels, as an improper amount of gas can ruin the quality and integrity of the components and devices being manufactured.

The foregoing bullet points highlight just a few of the industries that need oxygen deficiency monitors as part of their daily operations. Others include aerospace, cryotherapy, additive manufacturing, research and development, alternative fuel, waste management, and the oil and gas sectors.

PureAire Oxygen Deficiency Monitors

PureAire Monitoring Systems’ line of oxygen deficiency monitors offer thorough air monitoring, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required. Our monitor continuously tracks oxygen levels and, in the event of a gas leak and a drop in oxygen to an OSHA action level, will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting employees to evacuate the affected area.

The monitor will remain accurate at temperatures as low as -40C. PureAire’s durable, non-depleting, long-life zirconium oxide sensor will last for 10+ years in a normal environment without needing to be replaced.

Where Should Oxygen Deficiency  Monitors Be Installed?

Oxygen deficiency monitors should be installed 3 to 5 feet away from a gas cylinder or gas line, and in any location where there is a risk of gas leaks that may cause a drop in oxygen to an unsafe level.  So that employees can see the monitors and verify their performance, the monitors should typically be mounted 3 to 5 feet off the ground.

There are many other configurations for mounting. For instance, PureAire oxygen deficiency monitors can sample oxygen levels from up to 100 feet away using ¼  inch tubing, or be installed within a glovebox, freezer, gas line, sealed chamber, or even below ground level. PureAire oxygen deficiency sensors can be mounted directly in vacuum chambers with the use of a KF25 vacuum fitting.

How Many Oxygen Deficiency Monitors Do I need?

To ensure safety, PureAire generally recommends that one monitor be installed for approximately every 400 square feet of your facility’s space. However, since cryogenic gases, such as argon, helium, and nitrogen, are unpredictable, we encourage you to contact PureAire for additional guidance specific to your needs.

Don't Throw Away Your Shot...the Cold Truth About Vaccine Handling and Storage

 

In modern times, vaccines have been widely used to keep people healthy by protecting them from serious illnesses and diseases. Worldwide, vaccines annually prevent millions of deaths, and their utilization is responsible, in many parts of the globe, for the nearly total eradication of numerous diseases, including polio, measles, and smallpox.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (the "CDC"), a vaccine for a specific disease stimulates an individual's immune system, causing it to produce antibodies to counteract the antigens associated with the disease in question, just as one's immune system would do if one were actually exposed to the disease. The concept is that, after getting vaccinated, the inoculated patient develops immunity to the disease without first having to contract it. Unlike medicines, which are used to treat or cure diseases, vaccines are intended to prevent them.

Handling and Storage of Vaccines

Developing a vaccine can take years before it is deemed safe for human use and, thereafter, manufactured and made available for widespread distribution and inoculation. Throughout the manufacturing and  distribution process, and up to the time of administration, a vaccine must be kept in strict climate-controlled environments, collectively referred to as the "cold chain." The CDC describes a cold chain as a temperature-controlled supply chain that includes all vaccine-related equipment and procedures. The vaccine cold chain begins with a cold storage unit at the vaccine manufacturing plant, extends to the transport and delivery of the vaccine (including proper storage at the provider facility), and ends with the administration of the vaccine to the patient. A breakdown in protocols anywhere along the cold chain could reduce the effectiveness of, or even destroy, a vaccine.

According to FedEx, while most vaccines have traditionally been transported in a cold temperature range of 2 degrees Celsius to 8 degrees Celsius, certain vaccine manufacturers and pharmaceutical firms require a much lower temperature range within the cold chain associated with specific vaccine products.

Dry ice, which is the common name for solid (i.e., frozen) carbon dioxide, is often used in cold chains to maintain the very cold temperatures required to keep certain vaccines viable. At a temperature of approximately -78.5 degrees Celsius (equating to  -109.3 degrees Fahrenheit), dry ice is significantly colder than frozen water (that is, conventional ice), making it ideal for transport and storage of those vaccines requiring an extremely cold temperature environment.

Safely Tracking Carbon Dioxide Levels When Working with Dry Ice

Safety precautions are critical when shippers use dry ice in the transportation and storage of vaccines. Unlike conventional ice, dry ice does not melt into a liquid. Instead,  dry ice "sublimates" (changes from a solid to a gas state), turning into carbon dioxide gas. In small, poorly ventilated spaces, such as storage rooms and closets, cargo vans, trucks, and airplanes, carbon dioxide can build up, creating a potentially serious health risk.

Carbon dioxide is an oxygen-depleting gas that is both odorless and colorless. As such, absent appropriate monitoring, workers involved with the transportation and/or storage of products frozen with dry ice likely would be unable to detect if dry ice were to begin to sublimate, with carbon dioxide gas levels possibly rising to unsafe levels. When there is not enough oxygen in the air, persons working in the affected area may become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate due to the lack of oxygen

Fortunately, by utilizing a top-quality oxygen monitor, also known as an oxygen deficiency monitor, vaccine transportation storage personnel can track oxygen levels and detect (and react to) dangerous carbon dioxide levels before employee health is jeopardized.

PureAire Dual Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide Monitor

PureAire Monitoring Systems' Dual Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide Monitor offers thorough air monitoring, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required.  A screen displays current oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, for at-a-glance reading by employees, who derive peace of mind from the Monitor's presence and reliable performance.

In the event that dry ice begins to sublimate, causing carbon dioxide levels to rise, and oxygen to decrease to unsafe levels, PureAire's Monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting personnel to evacuate the area.

Our Dual Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide Monitor is well-suited for industries where dry ice is used, such as in the handling, transportation, and storage of life-saving vaccines. The Monitor includes both a non-depleting, zirconium oxide sensor cell, to monitor oxygen levels, and a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) sensor cell, to monitor carbon dioxide levels. Known for their dependability, PureAire's O2/CO2 Monitors can last, trouble-free, for over 10 years under normal operating conditions.

Brewers Safely Capture and Reuse Carbon Dioxide

 

Brewing beer produces carbon dioxide (CO₂), especially during fermentation (the process by which yeast converts sugars into alcohol). Estimates are that fermentation yields three times as much carbon dioxide as is actually needed to produce (including brewing, canning, and bottling) each batch of beer, with up to 15 grams of CO₂ generated per pint of beer brewed. According to the British Beer & Pub Association, over 8 billion pints of beer were consumed in the United Kingdom alone in 2019, contributing to the production of a whole lot of carbon dioxide.

While large, global breweries, with their vast financial resources, have been recapturing and reusing carbon dioxide for a number of years, most craft brewers have considered carbon recapture technology to be prohibitively expensive. They have treated excess CO₂ as waste, and vented it into the atmosphere, though that practice may make little sense, either economically or environmentally since, in order to produce subsequent batches, brewers must then turn around and purchase carbon dioxide to carbonate the beer, purge beer tanks and lines of oxygen, and to transfer the beer from tanks to bottles or cans.

And carbon dioxide purchase is a recurring line-item expense that eats into craft brewers’ profit margins.

Capturing and Reusing Carbon Dioxide

The good news is that recent technological innovations, driven in large part by companies working with NASA on space exploration and investigation, have led entrepreneurs to an awareness that CO₂ recapture may in fact now be seen as a relatively affordable, and certainly environmentally friendly, option for craft breweries. The technology involves capturing the CO₂ that has accumulated during fermentation and purifying the gas to make it suitable for reuse and/or sale.

The Washington Post has reported that Texas-based Earthly Labs has created a product called “CiCi” (for “carbon capture”), a refrigerator-sized unit that enables brewers to trap and reuse accumulated carbon dioxide. Captured CO₂ is piped from the fermentation tanks to a “dryer” to separate water from CO₂gas. The gas is next purified and chilled to a liquid for ease of storage and subsequent use.

Brewers can reuse their stored carbon dioxide to carbonate new batches of beer, as well as in the canning and bottling processes for the new beer. Craft Brewing Business, a trade website dedicated to the business of commercial craft brewing, reports that breweries can reduce monthly carbon dioxide expenses by 50 percent or more, and CO₂ emissions by up to 50%, via carbon capture technology.

Breweries that capture more CO₂ than they can use, may elect to sell the surplus to other breweries, bars, restaurants, and any other businesses that also use carbon dioxide. For instance, the State of Colorado, Earthly Labs, the Denver Beer Co., and The Clinic announced in early 2020 a pilot program in which Denver Beer Co. would sell its surplus CO₂ to The Clinic, a medical and recreational cannabis dispensary, which would then pump the carbon dioxide inside its grow rooms to stimulate and enrich plant growth.

Oxygen Monitors Can Mitigate Unseen Dangers of Carbon Dioxide

Brewers and others working around carbon dioxide need to be aware of the potential risks associated with CO₂. Carbon dioxide is an odorless and colorless oxygen-depleting gas. Since it deprives the air of oxygen, CO₂ use presents a potential health hazard for brewery personnel.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an environment in which oxygen levels fall below 19.5 percent is considered an oxygen-deficient atmosphere and should be treated as immediately dangerous to health or life. When there is not enough oxygen in the air, persons working in the affected area may become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate due to the lack of sufficient oxygen. Because CO₂ is devoid of odor and color, individuals working around it might well, in the absence of appropriate monitoring equipment, be unaware that a risk situation has developed.

As such, The National Fire Protection Association recommends that gas monitoring equipment be placed in storage areas or any place where carbon dioxide is used or stored.

PureAire Dual O₂/CO₂ Monitors

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PureAire Monitoring Systems’ Dual Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide Monitor offers thorough air monitoring, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required. A screen displays current oxygen and carbon dioxide levels for at-a-glance reading by brewery employees, who derive peace of mind from the Monitor’s presence and reliable performance.

In the event of a carbon dioxide leak, and a decrease in oxygen to an unsafe level, PureAire’s Monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting brewery personnel to evacuate the area.

PureAire’s Dual Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide Monitor is well-suited for facilities where carbon dioxide is used, such as breweries, bars, and restaurants. Our Dual O₂/CO₂ monitor includes both a non-depleting, zirconium oxide sensor cell, to monitor oxygen levels, and a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) sensor cell, to monitor carbon dioxide levels. PureAire’s O₂/CO₂ monitors can last, trouble-free, for over 10 years under normal operating conditions.

Saving money, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and ensuring employee safety...that is certainly something to which we can all raise a glass.

Image is Everything: MRI and Helium Safety

 

MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of a very large magnet, radio waves, and a computer to produce detailed, cross-sectional, and three-dimensional images of organs and structures within the body.

An MRI scan is a valuable diagnostic tool that can show injuries or other anomalies that cannot be seen in a CT scan or X-ray.  For instance, soft tissue injuries, such as,strains, sprains, contusions, tendonitis, and bursitis can all be observed via MRI.

Moreover, according to the Mayo Clinic, MRI can also be used to diagnose a variety of brain-related and nervous system disorders, including strokes, aneurysms, multiple sclerosis, eye and inner ear problems, and spinal cord injuries. MRI is widely used in research on brain structures and functions.

How MRI Works

MRI scanning machines vary in size, shape, and degree of openness but the typical MRI machine resembles a tube (encompassing a very large magnet) with a table in the middle, which enables the patient to lie down and slide into the magnetic field created inside the machine. The magnet itself is comprised of multiple coils of connective wire through which a current is passed to generate a magnetic field. To achieve the high field strengths required for most clinical needs, the magnet is cooled with liquid helium to -452 degrees Fahrenheit (-270 Celsius). The super cold temperature applied to the magnet provides for “superconductivity”, meaning that current can pass through the magnet’s coils without electrical resistance, producing the type of strong magnetic field necessary to produce detailed images.

To ensure accurate imaging, and to preserve the integrity of the MRI scanning machine, the liquid helium must be kept extremely cold when the scanner is in operation. If the temperature of the liquid helium were to rise above the very cold levels required for superconductivity, the helium might vaporize and,with the dissipation of the liquid helium’s super-cooling properties,  the machine’s magnet could overheat, potentially causing irreparable damage to the MRI machine.

Oxygen Monitors Can Detect Helium Leaks

Helium is an odorless, colorless, oxygen-depleting gas that can rapidly displace oxygen in the air to levels below what is needed to for humans to breathe. Excess exposure to helium can cause dizziness, nausea, and loss of consciousness, and could even result in death within seconds of exposure. Because liquid helium is devoid of color and odor, MRI personnel would, absent appropriate oxygen monitoring, likely be unaware that a potentially dangerous helium leak has occurred. As such, the National Institutes of Health’s Design Requirements Manual recommends that oxygen monitors be installed in MRI treatment areas.

Proper oxygen monitoring equipment should be placed in MRI rooms, as well as in storage rooms, and in any other site where helium gas may accumulate. The monitoring equipment should include visual and audible alarms that would be activated in the event of helium leaks and a decrease in oxygen levels.

PureAire Oxygen Deficiency Monitors

PureAire Monitoring Systems’ Sample Draw Oxygen Deficiency Monitor continuously tracks levels of oxygen and will detect helium leaks before MRI machines are damaged and the health of employees and patients is put at risk.

The Monitor’s built-in pump samples oxygen from up to 100 feet away,making it ideal for use in MRI facilities, because the metal components within the Monitor are outside the imaging area and, therefore, will not interfere with the magnets that are the heart of MRI scanning machines.

PureAire’s durable, non-depleting, zirconium oxide sensor can last 10+ years in a normal environment, without needing to be replaced.

In the event of a helium gas leak, and a decrease in oxygen to an unsafe, OSHA action level, the Sample Draw Oxygen Monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting staff and patients to evacuate the area. Additionally, the same alarm will alert personnel to turn off the MRI scanner in order to prevent the magnet overheating that could result in possible damage to the machine.

PureAire’s Sample Draw Oxygen Deficiency Monitor has an easy to read screen, which displays current oxygen levels, for at-a-glance observation by MRI employees, who derive peace of mind from the Monitor’s presence and reliability.

What Are Hot Melt Adhesives? Why Are They Used and What Is the Importance Of Nitrogen Gas?

 Hot Melt Adhesives and Available Types Used in Industrial Manufacturing

Industrial hot melt adhesives are polymer-based thermoplastic resins that, when melted, are used to bond materials together. Hot melt adhesives are comprised of one or more base polymers combined with tackifiers (which provide stickiness to the adhesive), plasticizers (to provide greater flexibility), and antioxidants (for protection against degradation) to allow for stability, adhesion, and flexibility.

Industrial hot melt is available in a variety of forms, including granular or powder hot melt blocks, pellets, bags, cakes, drums, and pillows. These materials are solid at room temperature, and then heated, melted, and dispensed for a variety of industrial applications.  As the adhesive returns to room temperature, a strong bond is created, adhering the manufacturing components together.

Hot melt can be dispensed as a liquid or, by introducing an inert gas (such as nitrogen) to the hot melt, as a foam.

Industrial Hot Melt Applications

In either liquid or foam form, hot melt adhesive is used across a wide variety of industries including  aerospace; automotive; product assembly; furniture making, cabinetry, and upholstery; product packaging; book binding; and non-woven sanitary hygiene products.

Aerospace and automobile manufacturers utilize hot melt adhesives for potting electronics (a process used to protect sensitive components from impact or vibration), as well as sealing rivets, seams, and joints. Additionally, hot melt foam is used in airplanes and cars as insulation around doors and windows to reduce vibrations and noise, as well as in seat assembly.

The pages in books and magazines are kept securely bound together using HMAs. The packaging industry depends on a strong adhesive bond to keep the flaps of corrugated boxes and cartons securely closed.

Non-woven personal hygiene products are manufactured by utilizing hot melt adhesives throughout the manufacturing process, including adhering the elastic strands in the leg openings and waistbands, bonding the fabric layers together to secure and stabilize the wetness core, and affixing the fastening tapes to the waistband.

Charring

Charring is akey concern when working with hot melt adhesives, as char (degraded adhesives that have oxidized, hardened into a gel, and been blackened and burned) can negatively affect the adhesives, cause equipment failure, and lead to a shut-down in production.

Key causes of charring include overheating (typically as a result of either using a temperature that is too high for a particular hotmelt, excessive heating times, or incorrect melt tank size); oxidation (exposing the adhesives to too much oxygen), and contamination (from dirt, dust and other materials that fall into the hotmelt and burn).

Once formed, the char can break off into pieces that may clog filters and stop up spray and bead nozzles. The pieces of char can work their way onto the materials to be bonded, leaving marks, streaks, and uneven surfaces. Eventually, bits of char may get into hoses and pumps, breaking seals and scoring and damaging hoses and pump walls.

Why Nitrogen is Used for Hot Melt Adhesive

To reduce potential damage from charring, hotmelt operators may elect to blanket the adhesives with nitrogen (N2) in a process by which nitrogen, an oxygen depleting gas, is piped into the space between the hotmelt adhesive and the top of the hopper or melt tank. The nitrogen blanket protects the adhesive by creating a barrier against falling debris, and it also removes oxygen and moisture which may cause the hotmelt to oxidize and form char .

Oxygen Monitors Improves Quality Control and Helps Protect Employees

To preserve the integrity of the hot melt while blanketing with nitrogen, employees must maintain proper oxygen levels within hoppers or melt tanks, as too much oxygen can cause oxidation. Proper oxygen monitoring equipment should be placed inside melt tanks to measure and control oxygen levels.  A nitrogen leak could lead to failure of the nitrogen blanket, which could compromise the integrity of the adhesives.

Moreover, wherever nitrogen is used, the possibility of nitrogen leaks poses potential risks to humans. Since nitrogen displaces oxygen, a leak could deprive the air of oxygen, thereby creating a possible health hazard for personnel. When there is not enough oxygen in the air, persons working in the area can become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate due to the lack of oxygen. Since nitrogen lacks color and odor, there is no way, absent appropriate monitoring, for employees to detect a leak.

Best practice calls for oxygen deficiency monitors to be installed anywhere there is a risk of gas leaks. As such, oxygen monitors should be placed wherever nitrogen is stored, and in all areas where nitrogen is used.

PureAire O2 Deficiency Monitors

PureAire Monitoring Systems’ line of Oxygen Deficiency Monitors and Water Resistant Sample Draw Oxygen Monitors continuously track levels of oxygen and will alert hotmelt personnel to nitrogen leaks before employees’ health is put at risk.  In the event of a nitrogen gas leak, and a decrease in oxygen to an unsafe level, the monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting employees to evacuate the area.

PureAire’s Water Resistant Sample Draw Oxygen Monitor is a self-contained oxygen deficiency system that is suitable for remote sampling of oxygen levels in confined spaces, hotmelt tanks, and other locations where remote oxygen monitoring is required. The built-in pump samples oxygen levels from up to 100 feet away.

PureAire oxygen monitors measure oxygen 24/7, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required. Built with zirconium oxide sensor cells to ensure longevity, PureAire’s O2 monitors can last, trouble-free, for over 10 years under normal operating conditions.Each PureAire O2 monitor has an easy to read screen, which displays current oxygen levels, for at-a-glance readings by hotmelt manufacturers, who derive peace of mind from the monitor’s presence and reliability.

Pharmaceutical Companies Rely on Nitrogen

Pharmaceutical firms research, develop, and manufacture over-the-counter and prescription drugs and medicines. Usage of these drugs includes, but is not limited to, vaccinations, treatment for chronic conditions, and pain management.

To protect the health and well-being of the public, the pharmaceutical industry is one of the most highly regulated industries. For instance, in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) carefully monitors pharmaceutical companies to ensure they are complying with the FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations. These regulations contain requirements for the methods, facilities, and controls used in manufacturing, processing, and packaging of a drug product.  The regulations are intended to ensure that a product is safe for use, and that it contains the ingredients and strengths it claims to have.

Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Rely on Nitrogen

Pharmaceutical manufacturers rely on nitrogen(N2) (an abundant, inert gas which makes up 78% of the air we breathe) for a wide range of uses, including everything from mixing raw materials, to cryogenic grinding (a process using liquid nitrogen to create ultra-fine, uniform particles), to purging oxygen from packaging.

A sterile environment is critical throughout the drug manufacturing and packaging processes. Nitrogen is used to remove oxygen (O2), moisture, and other possible contaminants,in order to create and maintain a sterile environment for production and packaging.

Nitrogen blanketing is the process by which pharmaceutical manufacturers create an inert, non-reactive, environment for safely mixing chemical compounds. Blanketing with nitrogen safeguards against corrosion and oxidation, and prevents possible volatile reactions that might occur if O2 were present, as  some medicinal compounds can be highly combustible when exposed to oxygen.

Oxygen and moisture are purged from packaging not only to maintain sterility but also to protect products during transport, and prolong the stability and shelf life of the packaged drugs.

Oxygen Monitors Can Reduce Risk in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Facilities Utilizing Nitrogen

Nitrogen is an oxygen-depleting gas that is both odorless and colorless. As such, absent appropriate monitoring, workers would be unable to detect a nitrogen leak if one were to occur in a gas cylinder or line. When there is not enough oxygen in the air, persons working in the area can become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate due to the lack of oxygen.

Fortunately, by utilizing a top-quality oxygen monitor, also known as an oxygen deficiency monitor, pharmaceutical personnel can track oxygen levels and detect nitrogen leaks before an employee’s health is jeopardized.

PureAire Monitors

PureAire Monitoring Systems’ oxygen deficiency monitors continuously track levels of oxygen and will detect nitrogen leaks before the health of pharmaceutical personnel is put at risk. Built with zirconium oxide sensor cells to ensure longevity, PureAire’s O2 monitors can last, trouble-free, for over 10 years under normal operating conditions.  In the event of a nitrogen gas leak, and a decrease in oxygen to an unsafe level, the monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting employees to evacuate the area.

Best practice calls for oxygen deficiency monitors to be installed anywhere there is a risk of gas leaks. The oxygen monitors should be placed wherever nitrogen is stored, and in all rooms and areas where nitrogen is used.

PureAire oxygen monitors measure oxygen 24/7, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required.

Each PureAire O2 monitor has an easy to read screen, which displays current oxygen levels, for at-a-glance readings by pharmaceutical manufacturing personnel, who derive peace of mind from the monitor’s presence and reliability.

Butane for THC and CBD Extraction Trend Requires Some Simple Steps to Stay Safe

On May 17^th, 2020, twelve firefighters were injured after an explosion occurred at a facility where butane is used for cannabis extraction. It is not yet known if butane was the cause of the explosion but, it was reported that, butane canisters where found in and around the building. The investigation is ongoing.

According to a Politico article, following an uptick in explosions in Colorado, fire officials there persuaded the National Fire Protection Association, which establishes a fire code for the whole country, to amend its rules to address hazards at facilities that grow and extract marijuana. The revised code requires any hazardous extraction process to be performed in a non-combustible room, in a building that contains no child or health care facilities. Staff must be trained on safe operation of the extraction equipment, and the extraction room must be equipped with a gas detection system and multiple fire extinguishing systems.

Extraction

Extraction is a process by which desired chemical compounds are extracted and separated from the cannabis plant. Extraction strips the plant of essential oils, including CBD, THC, and terpenes (aromatic oils that give cannabis plants their distinctive scents). The extracted oils can be utilized in vape pens, edibles, capsules, tinctures, and topical solutions.

Butane is one technique used to separate essential oils from the plant material. The use of butane for extraction is popular owing, in large part, to the relatively low overhead costs, efficiency (including the wide variety of products that can be created from a single extraction, without the need for further refinement), and high product quality associated with this technique. For instance, the low boiling point of butaneallow extractors to remove the desired compounds without risking evaporation of, or damage to, the delicate and heat-sensitive cannabinoids and terpenes. Moreover, the low boiling point makes it relatively easy to purge any residual butaneat the end of the extraction process, leaving behind only a relatively pure product.

Gas Detection Monitors Can Protect Extractors and Their Employees

While butane is important for extracting essential oils from cannabis plants use of this gas is not without risk, since extraction facility personnel and property are exposed to potential leaks from gas supply lines and storage containers. Butane is highly flammable and explosive gas as well.  Absent appropriate gas monitoring, an explosion can occur if butane vapors are ignited by a spark, heat, or open flame.

Proper gas detection equipment should be placed where the cannabis extraction process takes place, as well as in butane storage rooms, and in any other site where butanemay be expected to accumulate. The gas detection equipment should include the capacity to activate visual and audible alarms, stopping the flow of gas and turning on the ventilation system.

PureAire Monitors

PureAire Monitoring Systems has safety monitors to meet the needs of cannabis extractors using butane. Extractors utilizing butane rely on PureAire’s LEL, explosion-proof, combustible gas monitors. The monitor is housed in a NEMA 4 enclosure specifically designed to prevent an explosion. The durable, long-life LEL catalytic sensor will last 5+ years without needing to be replaced.

PureAire monitors feature an easy to read screen, which displays current oxygen levels for at-a-glance observation by employees, who derive peace of mind from the monitor’s presence and reliable performance. In the event of a gas leak, PureAire’s monitors will set off alarms, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting personnel to evacuate the area. At the same time, the monitors can be programmed to turn off the flow of butaneand turn on the ventilation system.

In short, PureAire’s monitors enable cannabis extractors, in a cost-effective manner, to preserve both the quality of their products and the well-being of their employees.