Acoem has always valued the longstanding partnerships developed by its subsidiaries and the global research community. Built on transparency and respect, these partnerships have helped to support climate and environmental science.
Acoem instruments have been used during maritime expeditions to study atmospheric and environmental conditions on numerous occasions. In 2017, Ecotech was proud to partner with some of the world’s most respected environmental research institutions to study air quality and climate change on the 40-day AQABA expedition around the Arabian Peninsula.
Acoem supplied the expedition with its Aurora ® 3000 Multi Wavelength Integrating Nephelometer, the Serinus ® 60 Direct Nitrogen Dioxide Analyser and its next generation Congrego ® Data Logger . Acoem monitoring equipment collected data on the chemical composition of the atmosphere and supported ongoing gas-aerosol interaction research and studies on the atmospheric chemistry of dust, sea salt and other natural emissions’ interactions with air pollution.
These relationships are equally as strong in the UK as Acoem Air Monitors supports the UK Supersites with a variety of gas analysers and the Cooper Xact ambient multi metals monitor. The Xact 625i is designed for high time resolution multi-metals monitoring of ambient air, with detection limits that rival those of laboratory analysis.
On the other side of the world, the Spectronus TM – the first multispecies greenhouse and other trace gases analyser, was onboard the Aurora Australia as it cruised the Southern Ocean from Hobart to various Antarctic and sub-Antarctic stations.
Acoem’s Spectronus TM gas analyser is an integral part of an Australian multi-university research project to study how aerosol gases form in clean atmospheres.
Over four voyages throughout the summer, research equipment housed in a purpose-built “AIRBOX” will be on the Aurora Australis measuring and providing data on aerosol gases. The Spectronus TM will be specifically measuring small variations of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and carbon monoxide (CO) during latitudinal changes as the ship sails. Spectronus TM has been utilised in a number of other pioneering maritime and ship-based environmental studies, including:
- providing data on CO 2 levels during a 2014 circumnavigation of Australia
- another aerosol study of the Daintree River region of Queensland in 2016
- a short campaign earlier this year by the Royal Australian Navy to study aerosol
formation around Garden Island, in Western Australia to assist with visibility for
submarines.
“Spectronus’ TM latest expedition is another example of the close relationship that Acoem shares with the academic and research sector,” commented Felicity Sharp, Former Head of Acoem Europe and now Managing Director, Air Monitors Ltd. “We recognise the importance of participating in ongoing research and welcome the opportunity to support Prof. Griffith and his team at the University of Wollongong,” she added.
