Researchers from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology Empa invented a tool that will accurately measure and locate sources of greenhouse gases emissions.
Empas researchers developed a special gas chromatograph mass spectrometer known as MEDUSA that measures the emission levels of more than 50 different greenhouse gases. Moreover, it can identify the sources of these emissions through atmospheric and meteorological computer models.
There have been suspicions that some countries are not accurate in reporting their emissions. Moreover, projections from the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment showed higher readings compared to the reported emissions.
The researchers tested their new system by analyzing HFC-23 levels. HFC-23 is an underestimated greenhouse gas with warming potential that is 15,000 greater than carbon dioxide. It is produced as a by-product of HCFC-22 which is used as a cooling and foaming agent, mostly in the refrigerant industry.
Empa researcher Stefan Reimann and his student analyzed the HFC-23 emissions from July 2008 to July 2010 at Jungfraujoch and Mace Head, an A.G.A.G.E. measurement station on the west coast of Ireland.
The Empa researchers were able to locate the origin of the emissions, which is from Italys sole HCFC-22 factory in Milan. They pointed out that this is in contrast to the official figures from Italy, which did not report any appreciable HFC-23 emissions since 1996.
With financial support from the Federal Office for the Environment, they also evaluated HFC-23 figures for 2008 to 2010 throughout Western Europe and found sources of those emissions.
Aside from Italy, they found out that Netherlands and Great Britain also underestimated their HFC-23 emissions.
According to the findings, France and Germany, in contrast had HFC-23 emissions that lay within their reported values.
The computer model was also able to accurately identify six HCFC-22 factories in Europe.
There have been international agreements to reduce the levels of greenhouse gases such as the Kyoto and Montreal protocols. However, verifying whether the participating countries are following the agreement is not an easy task.
"Our results show that these types of measurements really are suitable for checking compliance with international agreements on air pollution control", says Mr. Reimann.
source:APEC-VC Korea
