H2S monitors provide a reliable way to monitor oxygen levels in areas that aren’t designed to be permanently occupied. They’re often used in manufacturing plants that work with gases and liquids such as paints, thinners and solvents. They’re also essential in confined spaces to prevent accidents caused by a lack of oxygen that can result in unconsciousness or death.
Low levels of oxygen in breathing air can cause drowsiness and nausea; very low levels can lead to a loss of consciousness and, in extreme cases, death. These dangers are mitigated by using an oxygen depletion sensor to monitor the level of oxygen in the surrounding atmosphere and trigger alarms when it drops below 19.5%.
Why Oxygen Detectors Matter in Industrial and Home Settings
The most common type of oxygen sensor is the Clark-type sensor. This is a small, partially sealed cylindrical device with two dissimilar electrodes immersed in an aqueous electrolyte. They’re known for their accuracy in the percent and traces oxygen ranges, as well as their fast response times. However, one drawback is that they consume oxygen during measurement with a rate proportional to the diffusion of oxygen into the electrolyte. They’re also sensitive to stirring and may drift over time if they remain stagnant for long periods of time.
Another type of oxygen sensor is the polarographic sensor. These are typically non-hazardous rated and use an electrical current to measure oxygen in water samples. The sensor generates a voltage output depending on the concentration of oxygen in the sample: rich mixtures cause an increase in demand and the sensor’s voltage output rises, while lean mixtures yield lower output due to the transport of oxygen ions across the sensor layer.