Scientists at Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (AIOFM), Hefei Institutes of Physical Science managed to develop an online monitoring system for greenhouse gases (CH₄ and N₂O) and haze precursors (NO, NO₂ and NH₃). The trace gas is regarded as important indicators of haze pollution.

In fact, there is no available online monitoring technology equipment in China to trace elements such as CH₄ and N₂O in the last twenty years. And it still remains as a challenge to accurately measure each element concerning mulch-environmental factors, long-term and stable operation protection, etc.

Even worse, the available scientific data are rather fragmented and regionally limited.

To address this, Prof. KAN Ruifeng's group in AIFOM has developed online monitoring equipment based on the mid-infrared tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (MIR TDLAS).

The results obtained from the field observation demonstrated that the instrument have performed up to international advanced level in terms of system performance, retrieval algorithm of trace gases and aerosols distribution as well as application to environment investigation.

And the group also made an attempt on its application in deep sea dissolved gas sensor and so on.

"The application of MIR TDLAS to trace gas monitoring will lay solid data basis for scientific research and knowledge accumulation of the air pollution in China," said KAN, leader of the TDLAS Lab at AIFOM, at the international workshop on opportunities and challenges in mid-infrared laser-based gas sensing (MIRSENS 4) at Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland.