Invisible Air Pollution

[simple simon]

In addition to concerns about ground damage, water contamination and even earthquake formation, there is a new concern; poisonous vapours in the air. As detailed at the links below.

Simon

The gas industry helped to develop a magic camera to find leaks in their pipelines.

It makes invisible Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) visible.

Some concerned citizens in Colorado got one of these cameras.

They pointed it at a fracking operation that was right near a high school.

This is what they saw:

http://www.upworthy.com/the-oil-and...you-things-they-insist-arent-there?g=3&c=ufb1http://u.pw/1yM0sqc

 

[gazthomas]

Crikey

 

[tony_mac]

aren't they thermal imaging cameras?

In which case, while they will help to see VOCs in the right context, they will surely also show entirely harmless things like warm air?

 

[Jonny]

aren't they thermal imaging cameras?

In which case, while they will help to see VOCs in the right context, they will surely also show entirely harmless things like warm air?

I found this http://www.cem.uk.com/downloads/cem-abstracts/4.11 Steve Beynon.pdf searching through google - it seems that they are using IR cameras. Which means that it could be a load of hot air. Given the website hosting it (Upworthy) it most likely is hot air.

 

[Trog]

The question is how typical is that amount of leakage, as it is some sort of pressure group it is no doubt the 'best' bit of film they captured. It would also be interesting to see video of other industries, and places like petrol stations. An idea of how sensitive the cameras are, and the full range of what they actually detect would also be interesting. The cameras may also detect harmless substances like water vapour, which might not matter when used close up on a pipe looking for a leak. But which would give a misleading impression when used to look at a wider area with more diverse emissions.

 

[the sniper]

aren't they thermal imaging cameras?

it seems that they are using IR cameras.

No, no guys. They're "magic" cameras. Answer's in the article on that entirely factual, totally not clickbaity website.