When is a part-per-billion (ppb) NOT a part-per-billion (ppb)?

As if it weren’t bad enough that clueless environmental authorities try to impose their ignorance on the field by using so-called “metric” units of gas concentration, another trap may be lurking for you. Everyone around the world agrees that a part-per-million (ppm) equals 10-6. Unfortunately, since everyone around the world does not agree with what…

Using Common Sense and Science in Expressing Gas Concentrations

Go directly to conversion calculators Early on, in our first chemistry classes, we learn about solutions, and different ways of expressing their concentrations. Since a solution is any homogeneous mixture of two or more substances, gas mixtures are indeed solutions. In the world of gas detection, we tend to be concerned with combustible or toxic…