Presented by: Anna Farquhar, Aeroqual Ltd.

Summary: Amperometric electrochemical gas sensors are widely used for the detection of gases in air quality instruments. Such sensors generate output currents that are proportional to the target and cross-interference gas concentrations under diffusion controlled conditions. The sensor is also influenced by atmospheric conditions particularly temperature and relative humidity. Changes in temperature or humidity can cause both transient and slow drift in the output current. This presentation will discuss the use of electrochemical methods to characterize commercial electrochemical sensors before, during, and after a sudden change in the atmospheric condition. In situ electrochemistry allows the determination of how important sensor characteristics (active surface area, electrolyte resistance, electrode contamination etc.) change with atmospheric conditions in real-time. This work gives a better understanding of how electrochemical sensors react to their environment, and enables the development of diagnostic tools to evaluate sensor health and predict sensor response under changing climatic conditions.

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