PureAire Monitoring Systems is excited to introduce its new Dual Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide Monitor, an important addition to our full line of Oxygen Deficiency Monitors, Carbon Dioxide Monitors, and Combustible/Toxic Gas Detectors.  Our new Monitor is designed for continuous monitoring of oxygen and carbon dioxide levels  across a wide variety of applications, including cryogenic facilities, breweries, food processing plants, cannabis grow rooms, pharmaceutical manufacturing operations, laboratories, hospitals, and universities.
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Our Dual Monitor can sample O2/CO2 levels from up to 100 feet away and is ideal for facilities that use inert gases, including, but not limited to, nitrogen, helium, and argon. Its NEMA 4X/IP66 dust-tight and water-tight enclosure will protect the Monitor against dust, water, and damage from ice formation.

PureAire’s new Dual O2/CO2 Monitor continually measures oxygen levels from 0-25%, and carbon dioxide levels from 0-50,000 parts per million (ppm), with both O2 and CO2 measurements readily visible on the Monitor’s easy-to-read backlit displays. Depending on our customers’ specific requirements, the Monitor can be linked to a programmable logic controller (PLC), a multi-channel controller, or tied into building systems themselves.

​The new O2/CO2 Monitor features dual built-in LED visual alarms, two alarm level set-points for both O2 and CO2, as well as two relays for each monitored gas. The Monitor responds in seconds to changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, and it will remain accurate over a wide range of temperature and humidity levels.
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PureAire’s Dual Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide Monitor offers thorough air monitoring, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required. Built with durable, non-depleting, zirconium oxide sensor cells, and non-dispersive, infrared (NDIR) sensor cells to ensure longevity, PureAire’s Dual O2/CO2 Monitor can last, trouble-free, for 10+ years in normal working conditions.

What is Oxygen Deficiency?
The air we breathe is made up of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and trace amounts of other gases such as carbon dioxide, neon, and hydrogen. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines an environment in which oxygen levels fall below 19.5% as an oxygen-deficient atmosphere, which should be treated as immediately dangerous to health or life.

How is Oxygen Deficiency Dangerous?
Oxygen deficiency is often called a silent killer, because there are no warning signs when oxygen concentrations drop to an unsafe level.

Inhaling just a few breaths of oxygen-deficient air can have immediate negative effects, which may include impaired coordination, accelerated respiration, elevated heart rate, nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, convulsions, or even suffocation due to a lack of sufficient oxygen.

Where can Oxygen Deficiency Occur?
Oxygen deficiency can occur in any location where compressed oxygen-depleting gases are used, stored, or may accumulate.

Industries that commonly use these types of gases include, but are not limited to, laboratories, MRI, food and beverage, cryogenic facilities, aerospace, pharmaceutical, research and development, alternative fuel, waste management, semiconductor, additive manufacturing, and the oil and gas sectors.

Manufacturers and other organizations utilizing compressed, oxygen-depleting gases in their operations need to successfully navigate complex working environments in which high concentrations of such gases may be critical to production procedures, but where the risks of oxygen deficiency may pose a potential safety hazard for their employees.

Fortunately, by utilizing a top-quality oxygen deficiency monitor, facility managers can maintain stringent processing requirements, as well as protect the health and safety of their personnel.

What is an Oxygen Deficiency Monitor?

An oxygen deficiency monitor is a device that measures oxygen levels in a particular area. By continuously tracking oxygen levels, oxygen deficiency monitors are designed to detect oxygen-depleting gas leaks before employee health is jeopardized.

A number of oxygen-depleting gases, including nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, and argon, among others, are both odorless and colorless. As such, unless they are using a reliable oxygen deficiency monitor, personnel working with such gases would likely be unable to detect a gas leak should one occur in a gas cylinder or line, and they could likewise be unaware that they were breathing oxygen-deficient air.

​PureAire Oxygen Deficiency Monitors

PureAire Monitoring Systems’ line of Oxygen Deficiency Monitors offers thorough air monitoring, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required. An easy-to-read screen displays current oxygen levels for at-a-glance reading by employees, who derive peace of mind from the Monitor’s presence and reliable performance.
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Our Monitor continuously tracks oxygen levels and, in the event of a gas leak and a drop in oxygen to an OSHA action level, will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting employees to evacuate the affected area.

The Monitor will remain accurate at temperatures as low as -40C. PureAire's durable, non-depleting, long-life zirconium oxide sensor will last for 10+ years in a normal environment without needing to be replaced.

To reduce risk to personnel, PureAire's optional Remote Digital Display may be placed well outside of high risk rooms (up to 250 feet from the Monitor itself), where it will safely exhibit oxygen levels inside the room.

Centuries ago, merchants and shippers would place a lit candle inside barrels used to store biscuits before closing the lid. The idea was that the candle flame would deplete the oxygen inside the barrel to help keep the biscuits from spoiling. These days, the candle flame has been replaced by processes called Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), which can be either active or passive. By altering the atmosphere inside food product packages, or by using specialized packaging films, today’s food processors can preserve freshness and taste; extend shelf-life; prevent oxidation, which can lead to food spoilage; and protect against crushing the food contents inside the packaging, all without the use of chemical additives, stabilizers, or even candles.

Why Use Modified Atmosphere Packaging?
​Consumers want food that not only looks, tastes, and smells good, but is also convenient and lasts longer than a few days after purchase. In order to satisfy consumers, food packagers need to eliminate or, at least, control factors that contribute to food spoilage, including improper levels of moisture, temperature, or light; excessive oxygen (i.e., oxidation); and the growth of microorganisms (such as mold or pathogens that can lead to food-borne illnesses).

Spoiled food means lost revenues and lower profits for producers and intermediaries, higher food prices passed on to the consumer, and an environmental burden, as food waste reportedly contributes to some 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

How Does MAP Work?
Active modified atmosphere packaging works by changing the atmosphere inside food packaging, typically by the introduction of gases. For instance, carbon dioxide is often used to remove oxygen from inside the packaging of breads and other baked goods, in order to keep the products from going stale, prevent mold growth, and to extend shelf-life.
Packaged foods with high-fat content, such as certain cheeses or fish high in fatty acids, require a high concentration of carbon dioxide to prevent mold growth and to prevent the cheese or fish from tasting  rancid. However, excessive levels of  carbon dioxide can make certain foods taste sour. To prevent that from occurring, food packagers may elect to use nitrogen, or a mixture of gases, instead of carbon dioxide alone.

Conversely, while certain meat, fish, and poultry require that all or almost all oxygen be removed from inside packaging and replaced with carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen to prevent microbial growth and spoilage, oxygen is actually added to some packaged meats, low-fat fish, and shellfish to prevent fading or loss of color, as well as to inhibit the growth of certain types of bacteria.

Adding nitrogen gas to packaging not only helps salty snack foods stay crispy and fresh by displacing the oxygen inside food packaging, but it also helps protect the contents from getting crushed or broken during transport of the products from manufacturing facilities to stores and, ultimately, to consumers’ pantries.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are often packaged by using a passive form of MAP which includes specialized, permeable packaging films. The permeable film allows the fresh produce to continue to respire (that is, breathe) after being harvested, but at a much slower rate than if it were still on the plant. Low oxygen levels, combined with carbon dioxide or nitrogen, help to preserve the freshness, taste, and appearance of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Proper Monitoring Can Preserve Food Products and Protect Packaging Personnel
Balancing the correct mixture of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen is vital when it comes to food packaging. Too much or too little of a required gas can lead to foods that have unappetizing taste, smell, or appearance and, in baked goods, can promote mold growth, and staleness.

Moreover, food packagers and others working around carbon dioxide and nitrogen need to be aware of the potential safety risks associated with these odorless and colorless oxygen-depleting gases. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an environment in which oxygen levels fall below 19.5 percent is considered an oxygen-deficient atmosphere and should be treated as immediately dangerous to health or life. When there is not enough oxygen in the air, persons working in the affected area may become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate due to the lack of sufficient oxygen.

Because carbon dioxide and nitrogen are devoid of odor and color, individuals working around these gases might well, in the absence of appropriate monitoring equipment, be unaware that a safety risk situation has developed.

PureAire Monitors

PureAire Monitoring Systems’ Dual Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide Monitor offers thorough air monitoring, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required. A screen displays current oxygen and carbon dioxide levels for at-a-glance reading by food packaging employees, who derive peace of mind from the Monitor’s presence and reliable performance.

In the event of a carbon dioxide or nitrogen gas leak, and a decrease in oxygen to an unsafe level, PureAire’s Monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting personnel to evacuate the area.
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PureAire’s Dual Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide Monitor is well-suited for facilities where gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen are used. Our Dual O2/CO2 monitor includes both a non-depleting, zirconium oxide sensor cell, to monitor oxygen levels, and a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) sensor cell, to monitor carbon dioxide levels. PureAire’s O2/CO2 monitors can last, trouble-free, for over 10 years under normal operating conditions.

In December 2020,  two employees working at a Vernon, California food processing plant lost consciousness and died following an apparent liquid nitrogen leak. On January 28, 2021, there were several fatalities, and many other employees became sick, after being exposed to nitrogen gas when a liquid nitrogen line ruptured at a food processing plant in Gainesville, Georgia.According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a total of fourteen workers died from asphyxiation linked to nitrogen gas in twelve separate workplace accidents recorded between 2012 and 2020, and 2021 is already off to a sad start.  Tragically, these accidents illustrate the dangers of working with liquid nitrogen.
Importance of Liquid Nitrogen in Food Processing
Liquid nitrogen (LN2) is used in food processing in a number of applications, including grinding, mixing, coating, freezing, and packaging foods. Food processors may use liquid nitrogen in the production of a variety of foods, such as meat, poultry, seafood, fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and prepackaged meals. The very low temperature of LN2 is used to flash-freeze foods to help prevent microbial growth that can lead to food spoilage, and to maintain the foods’ original freshness, flavor, and textures.
Oxygen Monitors Can Reduce the Risk of Liquid Nitrogen Accidents
While the use of liquid nitrogen is important in food processing, it is not without risk. When liquid nitrogen is exposed to the air (which happens when leaks occur), it will evaporate, changing from a liquid to an oxygen-depleting gas. Oxygen deprivation can put employees in real danger if there are leaks from pressurized LN2 freezer lines, exhaust systems, or on-site storage containers. In the event of a liquid nitrogen leak, food processing workers could become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate from breathing oxygen-deficient air. Since LN2 is both odorless and colorless, workers would, in the absence of appropriate monitoring, have no way of knowing that there has been a liquid nitrogen leak.
However, by utilizing a top-quality oxygen deficiency monitor, food plant personnel can safely track oxygen levels and detect leaks before workers’ health is jeopardized.Best practice calls for oxygen deficiency monitors to be installed anywhere there is a risk of liquid nitrogen gas leaks. The monitor should be placed wherever liquid nitrogen is stored, and in all areas where liquid nitrogen is used. The monitoring equipment should include visual and audible alarms that would be activated in the event of liquid nitrogen leaks and a decrease in oxygen levels.
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PureAire Monitors

​PureAire Monitoring Systems’ line of oxygen deficiency monitors, including a water-resistant unit for facilities requiring daily wash-downs, offers thorough air monitoring, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required. In the event of a liquid nitrogen leak, and a decrease in oxygen to an unsafe level, PureAire’s oxygen deficiency monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting personnel to evacuate the area. PureAire oxygen deficiency monitors are ideally suited for use in food processing facilities because the monitors can withstand temperatures as low as -40 Celsius. Each PureAire O2 monitor has an easy to read screen, which displays current oxygen levels, for at-a-glance reading by food processing employees, who derive peace of mind from the monitor’s presence and reliable performance.

There are several potential COVID-19 vaccines that may soon be available for widespread distribution. In particular, the United Kingdom has recently approved Pfizer’s vaccine, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering extending Emergency Use Authorization to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

That is certainly promising news, but storage, transportation, and delivery of these potentially game-changing vaccines will be quite challenging, with the CEO of the International Air Transport Association describing the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines as “the largest and most complex logistical exercise ever” undertaken.

It is not just the huge numbers (literally, in the billions of doses) and vast geographic scope (worldwide, requiring delivery to every country on the planet) that make the COVID-19 vaccine distribution task so daunting, but both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines must be stored and transported in strict climate-controlled environments (reportedly, at some -70 degrees Celsius for Pfizer, and -20 degrees Celsius for Moderna) as integral parts of the vaccines’ “cold chains.”

COVID-19 Vaccine Cold Chain

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (the “CDC”) describes a cold chain as a temperature-controlled supply chain that includes all vaccine-related equipment and procedures. The vaccine cold chain begins with a cold storage unit at the vaccine manufacturing plant, extends to the transport and delivery of the vaccine (including proper storage at the provider facility), and ends with the administration of the vaccine to the patient. A breakdown in protocols anywhere along the cold chain could reduce the effectiveness of, or even destroy, a vaccine.

Given the extreme cold temperatures required within their cold chains by the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines (and, perhaps, other COVID-19 vaccines that may now be under development by other firms), various companies with the vaccine delivery network (including temperature-controlled container manufacturers, logistics specialists, storage facility operators, commercial airlines, and dry ice producers) have been hard at work for months to meet the challenges associated with safely storing and transporting billions of vaccine doses once, as now appears to be at hand, they finally become available for international distribution.

Creating Super-Cold Environments

Dry ice, which is the common name for solid (i.e., frozen) carbon dioxide, is often used in cold chains to maintain the very cold temperatures required to keep certain vaccines viable. At a temperature of approximately -78.5 degrees Celsius (equating to -109.3 degrees Fahrenheit), dry ice is significantly colder than frozen water (that is, conventional ice), making it ideal for transport and storage of those vaccines which require an extremely cold temperature environment.

Safety precautions are critical when shippers use dry ice in the transportation and storage of vaccines. Unlike conventional ice, dry ice does not melt into a liquid. Instead, dry ice “sublimates” (changes from a solid to a gas state), turning into carbon dioxide gas. In poorly ventilated, confined spaces, such as storage rooms, railway cars, trucks, and cargo holds in airplanes, carbon dioxide can build up, creating a potentially serious health risk to transportation workers, including ground and flight crews.

Certain vaccine manufacturers may elect to ship their vaccines in multi-layered, storage canisters chilled with liquid nitrogen, rather than dry ice. We note that the potential health risks associated with nitrogen leaks are similar to those that may be caused by dry ice sublimation.

Oxygen Deficiency Risks Associated with Super-Cooled Environments

Carbon dioxide (as is nitrogen) is an oxygen-depleting gas that is both odorless and colorless. As such, absent appropriate monitoring, personnel working with the transportation of COVID-19 and other vaccines kept frozen with dry ice or liquid nitrogen likely would be unable to detect if dry ice were to sublimate (causing CO2 levels to rise), or if there were a nitrogen gas leak, and an associated decrease in oxygen.

According the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an environment in which oxygen levels fall below 19.5 percent is considered an oxygen-deficient atmosphere and should be treated as immediately dangerous to health or life. When there is not enough oxygen in the air, persons working in the affected area may become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate due to the lack of sufficient oxygen.

FAA Guidance/Increased Air Shipment Capacity/Risk Mitigation

On May 22, 2009, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (the “FAA”) issued Advisory Circular No. 91-76A to specifically address the risks associated with the sublimation of dry ice aboard aircraft and, historically, the FAA has permitted even widebody aircraft to carry only relatively small amounts (typically not exceeding 1-1.5 tons per flight) of dry ice in refrigerated and insulated containers.

However, The Wall Street Journal (the “WSJ”) reported on November 29, 2020 that, in order to maintain the ultra-cold temperatures required by Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, United Airlines has recently sought, and obtained, FAA approval to carry up to 15, 000 pounds (7.5 tons) of dry ice per flight. In a December 2, 2020 interview with CNN, Josh Earnest, Chief Communications Officer with United Airlines, noted that the FAA approval will allow United to ship as many as 1.1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines on each flight of its commercial 777 airplanes.

Notwithstanding the FAA’s relaxation of dry ice weight limits to permit United Airlines to help bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control, it remains focused on risks associated with air shipments of dry ice. In its November 29, 2020 reporting, the WSJnoted that “regulators restrict the amount of dry ice that can be carried on passenger jets because they typically lack equipment to monitor and mitigate any leaked carbon dioxide.”

Fortunately, by utilizing a top-quality oxygen-deficiency monitor, vaccine storage and transportation personnel, including flight crews, can safely track levels of oxygen and detect (and react to) potentially dangerous low oxygen levels, whether caused by dry ice sublimation or a nitrogen gas leak.

PureAire Monitoring Systems, Inc.

PureAire Monitoring Systems’ Oxygen Deficiency Monitor offers thorough air monitoring, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required. A screen displays current oxygen levels, for at-a-glance reading by crew members, who derive peace of mind from the Monitor’s presence and reliable performance.

Built with zirconium oxide sensor cells, to ensure longevity, the Monitor can last, trouble-free for 10 years in normal working conditions.

Our Oxygen Deficiency Monitor does not rely on the partial pressure of oxygen to operate, meaning that the Monitor is not affected by the changing pressure inside an aircraft due to altitude changes. In the event that dry ice begins to sublimate (causing carbon dioxide levels to rise), or if there is a nitrogen leak, and oxygen decreases to unsafe levels, PureAire’s Monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting flight personnel to take corrective action.
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For over 20 years, PureAire Monitoring Systems has been an industry leader in manufacturing long-lasting, accurate, and reliable Oxygen Deficiency Monitors. We have dedicated ourselves to ensuring the safety and satisfaction of our clients, many of which have very sophisticated operating requirements. We are proud to note that NASA’s SOFIA-Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy--a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a 2.7 meter (106 inch) reflecting telescope--carries onboard a PureAire Oxygen Deficiency Monitor.

 What is an Oxygen Deficient Environment?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines an environment in which oxygen levels fall below 19.5 percent asan oxygen deficient atmosphere, which should be treated as immediately dangerous to health or life. When there is not enough oxygen in the air, persons within the affected area may become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate due to the lack of sufficient oxygen.

An oxygen deficient environment may be created when oxygen is displaced by inertgases, such as nitrogen, helium, argon, or carbon dioxide. Therefore, manufacturers and other organizations utilizing inert gases in their operations need to successfully navigate complex working environments in which high concentrations of such gases may be critical to production procedures, but where the risks of oxygen deficiency may pose potential safety hazard for their employees.

Fortunately, by utilizing a top-quality oxygen deficiency monitor, facility managers can maintain stringent processing requirements, as well as protect the health and safety of their personnel.

What is an Oxygen Deficiency Monitor?
An oxygen deficiency monitor is a device that measures the oxygen levels in a particular area. By continuously tracking oxygen levels, oxygen deficiency monitors are designed to detect gas leaks from oxygen-depleting gases before employee health is jeopardized.

A number ofgases, including nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, and argon, among others, are odorless, colorless, oxygen-depleting gases. As such, unless they are using a reliable oxygen deficiency monitor, personnel would likely be unable to detect a gas leak should one occur in a gas cylinder or line.

Which Industries Should Use Oxygen Deficiency Monitors?
Oxygen deficiency monitors contribute to safe working environments in any scientific or industrial application utilizing oxygen-depleting gases and, therefore, requiring continuous monitoring of oxygen levels. For instance:

• The medical industry uses inert gases for a variety of purposes, including MRI facilities, performing cryosurgery, invitro fertilization and cryostorage facilities, and for blood and tissue preservation, while laboratories typically use compressed gases including argon, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.
• Pharmaceutical manufacturers depend upon gases such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide to maintain sterile environments throughout the drug manufacturing and packaging processes.
• The food and beverage industries rely on carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas for a range of uses. By way of example, carbon dioxide carbonates beverages in bars, fast food establishments, and restaurants, and it is a critical component in the productions of soft drinks and beer.Nitrogen gas is important in food preservation processes, where it is used to remove oxygen from the manufacturing environment, extend product shelf life, and decrease the likelihood of spoilage.
• Semiconductor fabricators and foundries must closely monitor process gas levels, as an improper amount of gas can ruin the quality and integrity of the components and devices being manufactured.

The foregoing bullet points highlight just a few of the industries that need oxygen deficiency monitors as part of their daily operations. Others include aerospace, cryotherapy, additive manufacturing, research and development, alternative fuel, waste management, and the oil and gas sectors.

PureAire Oxygen Deficiency Monitors

PureAire Monitoring Systems’ line of oxygen deficiency monitors offer thorough air monitoring, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required. Our monitor continuously tracks oxygen levels and, in the event of a gas leak and a drop in oxygen to an OSHA action level, will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting employees to evacuate the affected area.

The monitor will remain accurate at temperatures as low as -40C. PureAire’s durable, non-depleting, long-life zirconium oxide sensor will last for 10+ years in a normal environment without needing to be replaced.

Where Should Oxygen Deficiency  Monitors Be Installed?
Oxygen deficiency monitors should be installed 3 to 5 feet away from a gas cylinder or gas line, and in any location where there is a risk of gas leaks that may cause a drop in oxygen to an unsafe level.  So that employees can see the monitors and verify their performance, the monitors should typically be mounted 3 to 5 feet off the ground.

There are many other configurations for mounting. For instance, PureAire oxygen deficiency monitors  can sample oxygen levels from up to 100 feet away using ¼  inch tubing, or be installed within a glovebox, freezer, gas line, sealed chamber, or even below ground level. PureAire oxygen deficiency sensors can be mounted directly in vacuum chambers with the use of a KF25 vacuum fitting.
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How Many Oxygen Deficiency Monitors Do I need?
To ensure safety, PureAire generally recommends that one monitor be installed for every 400 square feet of your facility’s space. However, since cryogenic gases, such as argon, helium, and nitrogen, are unpredictable, we encourage you to contact PureAire for additional guidance specific to your needs.

Overview
In modern times, vaccines have been widely used to keep people healthy by protecting them from serious illnesses and diseases. Worldwide, vaccines annually prevent millions of deaths, and their utilization is responsible, in many parts of the globe, for the nearly total eradication of numerous diseases, including polio, measles, and smallpox.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (the "CDC"), a vaccine for a specific disease stimulates an individual's immune system, causing it to produce antibodies to counteract the antigens associated with the disease in question, just as one's immune system would do if one were actually exposed to the disease. The concept is that, after getting vaccinated, the inoculated patient develops immunity to the disease without first having to contract it. Unlike medicines, which are used to treat or cure diseases, vaccines are intended to prevent them.

Handling and Storage of Vaccines
Developing a vaccine can take years before it is deemed safe for human use and, thereafter manufactured and made available for widespread distribution and inoculation. Throughout the manufacturing and  distribution process, and up to the time of administration, a vaccine must be kept in strict climate-controlled environments, collectively referred to as the "cold chain." The CDC describes a cold chain as a temperature-controlled supply chain that includes all vaccine-related equipment and procedures. The vaccine cold chain begins with a cold storage unit at the vaccine manufacturing plant, extends to the transport and delivery of the vaccine (including proper storage at the provider facility), and ends with the administration of the vaccine to the patient. A breakdown in protocols anywhere along the cold chain could reduce the effectiveness of, or even destroy, a vaccine.

According to FedEx, while most  vaccines have traditionally been transported in a cold temperature range of 2 degrees Celsius to 8 degrees Celsius, certain vaccine manufacturers and pharmaceutical firms require a much lower temperature range within the cold chain associated with specific vaccine products.

Dry ice, which is the common name for solid (i.e., frozen) carbon dioxide, is often used in cold chains to maintain the very cold temperatures required to keep certain vaccines viable. At a temperature of approximately -78.5 degrees Celsius (equating to  -109.3 degrees Fahrenheit), dry ice is significantly colder than frozen water (that is, conventional ice), making it ideal for transport and storage of those vaccines requiring an extremely cold temperature environment.

Safely Tracking Carbon Dioxide Levels When Working with Dry Ice
Safety precautions are critical when shippers use dry ice in the transportation and storage of vaccines. Unlike conventional ice, dry ice does not melt into a liquid. Instead,  dry ice "sublimates" (changes from a solid to a gas state), turning into carbon dioxide gas. In small, poorly ventilated spaces, such as storage rooms and closets, cargo vans, trucks, and airplanes, carbon dioxide can build up, creating a potentially serious health risk.

Carbon dioxide is an oxygen-depleting gas that is both odorless and colorless. As such, absent appropriate monitoring, workers involved with the transportation and/or storage of products frozen with dry ice likely would be unable to detect if dry ice were to begin to sublimate, with carbon dioxide gas levels possibly rising to unsafe levels. When there is not enough oxygen in the air, persons working in the affected area may become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate due to the lack of oxygen

Fortunately, by utilizing a top-quality oxygen monitor, also known as an oxygen deficiency monitor, vaccine transportation storage personnel can track oxygen levels and detect (and react to) dangerous carbon dioxide levels before employee health is jeopardized.
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PureAire Dual Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide Monitor

PureAire Monitoring Systems' Dual Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide Monitor offers thorough air monitoring, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required.  A screen displays current oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, for at-a-glance reading by employees, who derive peace of mind from the Monitor's presence and reliable performance.
In the event that dry ice begins to sublimate, causing carbon dioxide levels to rise, and oxygen to decrease to unsafe levels, PureAire's Monitor will  set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting personnel to evacuate the area.
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Our Dual Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide Monitor is well-suited for industries where dry ice is used, such as in the handling, transportation, and storage of life-saving vaccines. The Monitor includes both a non-depleting, zirconium oxide sensor cell, to monitor oxygen levels, and a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) sensor cell, to monitor carbon dioxide levels. Known for their dependability, PureAire's O2/CO2 Monitors can last, trouble free, for over 10 years under normal operating conditions.

MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of a very large magnet, radio waves, and a computer to produce detailed, cross-sectional, and three-dimensional images of organs and structures within the body.
An MRI scan is a valuable diagnostic tool that can show injuries or other anomalies that cannot be seen in a CT scan or X-ray.  For instance, soft tissue injuries, such as, strains, sprains, contusions, tendonitis, and bursitis can all be observed via MRI.
Moreover, according to the Mayo Clinic, MRI can also be used to diagnose a variety of brain-related and nervous system disorders, including strokes, aneurysms, multiple sclerosis, eye and inner ear problems, and spinal cord injuries. MRI is widely used in research on brain structures and functions.
How MRI Works
MRI scanning machines vary in size, shape, and degree of openness but the typical MRI machine resembles a tube (encompassing a very large magnet) with a table in the middle, which enables the patient to lie down and slide into the magnetic field created inside the machine. The magnet itself is comprised of multiple coils of connective wire through which a current is passed to generate a magnetic field. To achieve the high field strengths required for most clinical needs, the magnet is cooled with liquid helium to -452 degrees Fahrenheit (-270 Celsius). The super cold temperature applied to the magnet provides for “superconductivity”, meaning that current can pass through the magnet’s coils without electrical resistance, producing the type of strong magnetic field necessary to produce detailed images.
To ensure accurate imaging, and to preserve the integrity of the MRI scanning machine, the liquid helium must be kept extremely cold when the scanner is in operation. If the temperature of the liquid helium were to rise above the very cold levels required for superconductivity, the helium might vaporize and, with the dissipation of the liquid helium’s super-cooling properties,  the machine’s magnet could overheat, potentially causing irreparable damage to the MRI machine.
Oxygen Monitors Can Detect Helium Leaks
Helium is an odorless, colorless, oxygen-depleting gas that can rapidly displace oxygen in the air to levels below what is needed for humans to breathe. Excess exposure to helium can cause dizziness, nausea, and loss of consciousness, and could even result in death within seconds of exposure. Because liquid helium is devoid of color and odor, MRI personnel would, absent appropriate oxygen monitoring, likely be unaware that a potentially dangerous helium leak has occurred. As such, the National Institutes of Health’s Design Requirements Manual recommends that oxygen monitors be installed in MRI treatment areas.
Proper oxygen monitoring equipment should be placed in MRI rooms, as well as in storage rooms, and in any other site where helium gas may accumulate. The monitoring equipment should include visual and audible alarms that would be activated in the event of helium leaks and a decrease in oxygen levels.

PureAire Oxygen Deficiency Monitors
PureAire Monitoring Systems’ Sample Draw Oxygen Deficiency Monitor continuously tracks levels of oxygen and will detect helium leaks before MRI machines are damaged and the health of employees and patients is put at risk.​

The Monitor’s built-in pump samples oxygen from up to 100 feet away, making it ideal for use in MRI facilities, because the metal components within the Monitor are outside the imaging area and, therefore, will not interfere with the magnets that are the heart of MRI scanning machines.
PureAire’s durable, non-depleting, zirconium oxide sensor can last 10+ years in a normal environment, without needing to be replaced.
In the event of a helium gas leak, and a decrease in oxygen to an unsafe, OSHA action level, the Sample Draw Oxygen Monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting staff and patients to evacuate the area. Additionally, the same alarm will alert personnel to turn off the MRI scanner in order to prevent the magnet overheating that could result in possible damage to the machine.
PureAire’s Sample Draw Oxygen Deficiency Monitor has an easy to read screen, which displays current oxygen levels, for at-a-glance observation by MRI employees, who derive peace of mind from the Monitor’s presence and reliability.

Hot Melt Adhesives and Available Types Used in Industrial Manufacturing
Industrial hot melt adhesives are polymer-based thermoplastic resins that, when melted, are used to bond materials together. Hot melt adhesives are comprised of one or more base polymers combined with tackifiers (which provide stickiness to the adhesive), plasticizers (to provide greater flexibility), and antioxidants (for protection against degradation) to allow for stability, adhesion, and flexibility.
Industrial hot melt is available in a variety of forms, including granular or powder hot melt blocks, pellets, bags, cakes, drums, and pillows. These materials are solid at room temperature, and then heated, melted, and dispensed for a variety of industrial applications.  As the adhesive returns to room temperature, a strong bond is created, adhering the manufacturing components together.
Hot melt can be dispensed as a liquid or, by introducing an inert gas (such as nitrogen) to the hot melt, as a foam.
Industrial Hot Melt Applications
In either liquid or foam form, hot melt adhesive is used across a wide variety of industries including  aerospace; automotive; product assembly; furniture making, cabinetry, and upholstery; product packaging; book binding; and non-woven sanitary hygiene products.
Aerospace and automobile manufacturers utilize hot melt adhesives for potting electronics (a process used to protect sensitive components from impact or vibration), as well as sealing rivets, seams, and joints. Additionally, hot melt foam is used in airplanes and cars as insulation around doors and windows to reduce vibrations and noise, as well as in seat assembly.
The pages in books and magazines are kept securely bound together using HMAs. The packaging industry depends on a strong adhesive bond to keep the flaps of corrugated boxes and cartons securely closed.
Non-woven personal hygiene products are manufactured by utilizing hot melt adhesives throughout the manufacturing process, including adhering the elastic strands in the leg openings and waistbands, bonding the fabric layers together to secure and stabilize the wetness core, and affixing the fastening tapes to the waistband.
Charring
Charring is a key concern when working with hot melt adhesives, as char (degraded adhesives that have oxidized, hardened into a gel, and been blackened and burned) can negatively affect the adhesives, cause equipment failure, and lead to a shut-down in production.
Key causes of charring include overheating (typically as a result of either using a temperature that is too high for a particular hotmelt, excessive heating times, or incorrect melt tank size); oxidation (exposing the adhesives to too much oxygen), and contamination (from dirt, dust and other materials that fall into the hot melt and burn).
Once formed, the char can break off into pieces that may clog filters and stop up spray and bead nozzles. The pieces of char can work their way onto the materials to be bonded, leaving marks, streaks, and uneven surfaces. Eventually, bits of char may get into hoses and pumps, breaking seals and scoring and damaging hoses and pump walls.
Why Nitrogen is Used for Hot Melt Adhesive
To reduce potential damage from charring, hot melt operators may elect to blanket the adhesives with nitrogen (N2) in a process by which nitrogen, an oxygen depleting gas, is piped into the space between the hot melt adhesive and the top of the hopper or melt tank. The nitrogen blanket protects the adhesive by creating a barrier against falling debris, and it also removes oxygen and moisture which may cause the hotmelt to oxidize and form char .
Oxygen Monitors Improves Quality Control and Helps Protect Employees
To preserve the integrity of the hot melt while blanketing with nitrogen, employees must maintain proper oxygen levels within hoppers or melt tanks, as too much oxygen can cause oxidation. Proper oxygen monitoring equipment should be placed inside melt tanks to measure and control oxygen levels.  A nitrogen leak could lead to failure of the nitrogen blanket, which could compromise the integrity of the adhesives.
Moreover, wherever nitrogen is used, the possibility of nitrogen leaks poses potential risks to humans. Since nitrogen displaces oxygen, a leak could deprive the air of oxygen, thereby creating a possible health hazard for personnel. When there is not enough oxygen in the air, persons working in the area can become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate due to the lack of oxygen. Since nitrogen lacks color and odor, there is no way, absent appropriate monitoring, for employees to detect a leak.
Best practice calls for oxygen deficiency monitors to be installed anywhere there is a risk of gas leaks. As such, oxygen monitors should be placed wherever nitrogen is stored, and in all areas where nitrogen is used.
PureAire O2 Deficiency Monitors
PureAire Monitoring Systems’ line of Oxygen Deficiency Monitors and Water Resistant Sample Draw Oxygen Monitors continuously track levels of oxygen and will alert hotmelt personnel to nitrogen leaks before employees’ health is put at risk.  In the event of a nitrogen gas leak, and a decrease in oxygen to an unsafe level, the monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting employees to evacuate the area.
PureAire’s Water Resistant Sample Draw Oxygen Monitor is a self-contained oxygen deficiency system that is suitable for remote sampling of oxygen levels in confined spaces, hot melt tanks, and other locations where remote oxygen monitoring is required. The built-in pump samples oxygen levels from up to 100 feet away.
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PureAire oxygen monitors measure oxygen 24/7, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required. Built with zirconium oxide sensor cells to ensure longevity, PureAire’s O2 monitors can last, trouble-free, for over 10 years under normal operating conditions.Each PureAire O2 monitor has an easy to read screen, which displays current oxygen levels, for at-a-glance readings by hot melt manufacturers, who derive peace of mind from the monitor’s presence and reliability.

Pharmaceutical firms research, develop, and manufacture over-the-counter and prescription drugs and medicines. Usage of these drugs includes, but is not limited to, vaccinations, treatment for chronic conditions, and pain management.
To protect the health and well-being of the public, the pharmaceutical industry is one of the most highly regulated industries. For instance, in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) carefully monitors pharmaceutical companies to ensure they are complying with the FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations. These regulations contain requirements for the methods, facilities, and controls used in the manufacturing, processing, and packaging of a drug product.  The regulations are intended to ensure that a product is safe for use, and that it contains the ingredients and strengths it claims to have.
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Rely on Nitrogen
Pharmaceutical manufacturers rely on nitrogen(N2) (an abundant, inert gas which makes up 78% of the air we breathe) for a wide range of uses, including everything from mixing raw materials, to cryogenic grinding (a process using liquid nitrogen to create ultra-fine, uniform particles), to purging oxygen from packaging.
A sterile environment is critical throughout the drug manufacturing and packaging processes. Nitrogen is used to remove oxygen (O2), moisture, and other possible contaminants, in order to create and maintain a sterile environment for production and packaging.
Nitrogen blanketing is the process by which pharmaceutical manufacturers create an inert, non-reactive, environment for safely mixing chemical compounds. Blanketing with nitrogen safeguards against corrosion and oxidation, and prevents possible volatile reactions that might occur if O2 were present, as some medicinal compounds can be highly combustible when exposed to oxygen.
Oxygen and moisture are purged from packaging not only to maintain sterility but also to protect products during transport, and prolong the stability and shelf life of the packaged drugs.
Oxygen Monitors Can Reduce Risk in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Facilities Utilizing Nitrogen
Nitrogen is an oxygen-depleting gas that is both odorless and colorless. As such, absent appropriate monitoring, workers would be unable to detect a nitrogen leak if one were to occur in a gas cylinder or line. When there is not enough oxygen in the air, persons working in the area can become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate due to the lack of oxygen.
Fortunately, by utilizing a top-quality oxygen monitor, also known as an oxygen deficiency monitor, pharmaceutical personnel can track oxygen levels and detect nitrogen leaks before an employee’s health is jeopardized.
PureAire Monitors
PureAire Monitoring Systems’ oxygen deficiency monitors continuously track levels of oxygen and will detect nitrogen leaks before the health of pharmaceutical personnel is put at risk. Built with zirconium oxide sensor cells to ensure longevity, PureAire’s O2 monitors can last, trouble-free, for over 10 years under normal operating conditions.  In the event of a nitrogen gas leak, and a decrease in oxygen to an unsafe level, the monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting employees to evacuate the area.
Best practice calls for oxygen deficiency monitors to be installed anywhere there is a risk of gas leaks. The oxygen monitors should be placed wherever nitrogen is stored, and in all rooms and areas where nitrogen is used.
PureAire oxygen monitors measure oxygen 24/7, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required.
Each PureAire O2 monitor has an easy to read screen, which displays current oxygen levels, for at-a-glance readings by pharmaceutical manufacturing personnel, who derive peace of mind from the monitor’s presence and reliability.