The Main Aspects of Modern Oxygen Monitoring

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Let’s face it: the quality of the ambient air is continually worsening. Because this, scientists are always developing new techniques of oxygen monitoring – various lab tests and electronic devices that can calculate the percentage of oxygen in a certain environment: the breathing air, our blood, water, different other gases or liquids, food products, the internal combustion engine of a vehicle and so on.

I hope you’re all aware that oxygen is everywhere. This element is fundamental for sustaining life on Earth. Ideally, we shouldn’t need oxygen monitoring equipment on a regular basis. But our world is far from being ideal, and – in order to maintain at least some degree of well-being and fulfillment – we have to resort to various aids provided by modern technology.

Let’s make a quick review of the main types of oxygen monitoring equipment available on the market nowadays.

wall-mounted oxygen deficiency monitor1. Oxygen deficiency monitoring. Usually employed in industrial and scientific facilities (such as factories, refineries, laboratories, underground enclosed spaces and other hazardous environments which present risks of oxygen deficiency and toxic gas leakages), these devices come in two main types:

  • Wall-mounted oxygen deficiency monitors. These monitors provide a continuous measurement of the oxygen saturation in the surrounding air, sounding an alarm whenever the O2 concentration drops below the safe limit (usually set at 20.9%).
  • Portable oxygen deficiency monitors. Being battery-operated, pocket-sized and easy to carry around, these monitors offer personal protection to people working in dangerous environments. Their functions are similar to those of the wall-mounted models. They can provide continuous or spot-check measurements, depending on the needs of the user.

oxygen sensor2. Oxygen sensors are devices that measure the O2 proportion in a certain liquid or gas.  More often than not, the term ‘oxygen sensor’ is used for describing the oxygen monitoring equipment used in measuring the oxygen concentration in internal combustion engines. Oxygen sensors are also used in diving equipments (for measuring the oxygen concentration in the breathing gas) and in the medical field (in respirators or anesthesia monitors). O2 sensors are also incorporated in the more complex oxygen analyzers. Typically, the probes (the sensing elements) are made of zirconia ceramic coated with platinum.

oxygen analyzer3. Oxygen analyzers. Being more sophisticated than oxygen sensors (the oxygen sensor is the main element of the analyzer), analyzers have advanced oxygen monitoring features for various industrial purposes: monitoring of breathing air near reflow furnaces; combustion control in incinerators, boilers and various types of furnaces; in energy consuming industries (oil, petrochemical, electric power, metal); humidity control in facilities using dryers and humidifiers; environment control; residual oxygen measurement in gas-flushed food packages etc.

dissolved oxygen meter4. Dissolved oxygen meters (monitors). The term ‘dissolved oxygen’ refers to the physical distribution of oxygen in water. A dissolved oxygen monitor, therefore, measures the amount of oxygen present in a certain water sample. These devices are used for analyzing the quality of drinking water, for pollution control in lakes and rivers, in the treatment of waste water and for other industrial or pharmaceutical application which involve oxygen measurements in specific liquids. The dissolved oxygen meter can also display the oxygen content in atmosphere.

oxygen depletion monitor5. Oxygen depletion monitors are used in areas with an increased risk of oxygen depletion (also called environmental hypoxia or dangerous reduction of oxygen concentration in a certain environment). The use of these monitors is mandatory in facilities where liquid nitrogen is stored. When the nitrogen evaporates, it becomes an tasteless, colorless asphyxiant expanding gaseous substance which displaces quickly the oxygen from the ambient air. The oxygen depletion monitor has an alarm system that warns the workers whenever there is a leak of liquid nitrogen (or other toxic substances that deplete the oxygen from the breathing air).

finger blood oxygen monitor6. Pulse oximetry. Being the most popular type of oxygen monitoring, pulse oxymetry is used by medical personnel and home consumers alike. Pulse oximeters (also called blood oxygen monitors) are non-invasive electronic devices which send light frequencies through a translucent body part for measuring the oxygen saturation in a person’s blood (displayed as a SpO2 percentage on the screen of the device). It also displays the heart rate. There are different types of blood oxygen monitors:

  • for medical use (handheld and tabletop models)
  • for personal use – intended for people suffering from chronic heart or lung diseases, for athletes, pilots and alpinists (fingertip or wrist units).