Membrane-Based Portable Colorimetric Gaseous Chlorine Sensing Probe.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Toxic chlorine gas poses significant workplace health risks.
• Existing monitoring methods may lack on-site, real-time capabilities for both instantaneous and time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations.
• A need exists for simple, sensitive, accurate, and reliable chlorine gas detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a novel gaseous chlorine detection principle.
• To develop a portable colorimetric sensing probe for real-time chlorine gas monitoring.
• To enable accurate quantification of instantaneous and TWA chlorine concentrations in the workplace.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a colorimetric reaction between N,N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine sulfate salt and chlorine gas.
• Employed a membrane process to control gaseous chlorine transport across a gas-permeable membrane.
• Designed and fabricated a portable colorimetric gaseous chlorine sensing probe (MCSP) integrating the analytical principle.

Main Results:

• The MCSP demonstrated real-time continuous monitoring of chlorine gas.
• The sensor accurately quantified both instantaneous and TWA chlorine concentrations.
• The analytical range was determined to be 0.009-2.058 mg L⁻¹.
• The device operated without the need for ongoing calibration.

Conclusions:

• The developed MCSP is a viable analytical tool for workplace chlorine gas detection.
• The sensor effectively manages health risks associated with toxic chlorine gas exposure.
• The technology offers enhanced accuracy and reliability for environmental monitoring.