Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) occurs naturally in the environment, if you use Oxygen to breath as a plant or animal then you also exhale CO2. Plants consume CO2 to grow, therefore it is an essential requirement for life.

Carbon Dioxide is also produced during:

• combustion in diesel and petrol vehicles
• natural gas used for cooking and heating,
• wood and coal burning etc.
• Increased levels of Carbon Dioxide are used in greenhouses to force plant growth.

Carbon Dioxide in Industry:

• as a shielding gas in welding
• fire extinguishant
• used as a refrigerant gas.
• CO2 is the bubbles in carbonated ‘fizzy’ drinks
• the ‘bubbles in bread and rising agents.
• in greenhouses to force plant growth
• constitutes dry ice.

In the atmosphere CO2 is present at around 400ppm. This will increase rapidly in a closed room with people breathing normally, as CO2 is exhaled. Learn more about the hazards of CO2 and how to choose the correct CO2 portable detector.

Our portable iGAS CO2 for ppm level CO2 detection. Ideal for personnel safety. These can be ordered online today. See here.

UK Legislation:

For this reason the Government produces ventilation guidelines for schools in guidance note BB101 limits CO2 exposure limits in schools, colleges and universities to 1000ppm. This guidance can be extrapolated to the workplace to ensure effective ventilation and a good, comfortable workplace environment. High workplace CO2 levels can be a big cause of ‘sick building syndrome’.

There is a misconception that CO2 is a simple asphyxiant and you can use Oxygen depletion monitors for detecting the presence of CO2. This is untrue.

• CO2 is listed as a substance that is hazardous to health with published exposure limits
• CO2 can act as an asphyxiant
• CO2 can also act to have a narcotic effect

You must not use Oxygen depletion monitors for CO2 detection. This is specifically prohibited in BS EN 60079-29-2.

CO2 acts very differently to Oxygen. There is no convenient relationship between Carbon Dioxide Enrichment and Oxygen depletion.

For example you would require a CO2 level of 9.1% to deplete the Oxygen level to 19%, enough to trigger an Oxygen depletion alarm level. From a COSHH perspective that would mean exceeding the short term exposure limit by a factor of 6. It would also leave you in breach of COSHH regulations.

At levels of 7% to 10% death may occur from asphyxiation even in the presence of sufficient Oxygen. ‘For this reason where CO2 needs to be monitored for safety it is a requirement to fit Carbon Dioxide Monitor and NOT Oxygen depletion detector, this is specifically prohibited in British Standard EN 60079-29-2:2007′

Typical symptoms of high CO2 levels can be:

• Drowsiness
• Headaches
• Stuffy Feeling

Our 1 Click Automatic alarm setup, CO2 sensor. Ideal for anyone who wants a low cost, small format system. Coupled with our ground breaking 635 MICRO control; you can easily install a CO2 gas detector system and setup the system with 1 click of a button. 

We have a range of solutions for monitoring CO2 levels. If you are looking for a small format 1-8 channel Carbon Dioxide monitor system then the 635 MICRO is the ideal solution. Plus you install them yourself (no need for an install engineer). If you are monitoring the breathing zone then 0-5000ppm Carbon Dioxide Detector would be ideal. If you are monitoring Cryogenic CO2 or dry ice then the 0-5% VOL CO2 Monitor is the perfect solution. With 1 click automatic setup, the system will automatically sets all alarm levels. All you have to do is connect and click run. For larger systems our 750 controller is the ideal solution. Saving you around 70-80% on overall costs compared to current systems on the market.

For portable detectors, see our CO2-CHUM series here. 

Call us on +44 (0)161 483 1415 or email us sales@internationalgasdetectors.com to discuss how 2-Wire can help with your CO2 detection.

 

Further Reading:

• Choosing the Right CO2 Portable Gas Detector Article
• Detecting Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide in a Laboratory – Q&A Session
• Functional Safety and Gas Detection