Metrology for low-cost CO₂ sensors applications: the case of a steady-state through-flow (SS-TF) chamber for CO₂ fluxes observations

Abstract

Soil CO2 emissions are one of the largest contributions to the global carbon cycle, and a full understanding of processes generating them and how climate change may modify them is needed and still uncertain. Thus, a dense spatial and temporal network of CO2 flux measurements from soil could help reduce uncertainty in the global carbon budgets. In the present study, the design, assembly, and calibration of low-cost air enquirer kits, including CO2 and environmental parameters sensors, is presented. Different types of calibrations for the CO2 sensors and their associated errors are calculated. In addition, for the first time, this type of sensor has been applied to design, develop, and test a new steady-state through-flow (SS-TF) chamber for simultaneous measurements of CO2 fluxes in soil and CO2 concentrations in air. The sensors' responses were corrected for temperature, relative humidity, and pressure conditions in order to reduce the uncertainty in the measured CO2 values and of the following calculated CO2 fluxes based on SS-TF. CO2 soil fluxes measured by the proposed SS-TF and by a standard closed non-steady-state non-through-flow (NSS-NTF) chamber were briefly compared to ensure the reliability of the results. The use of a multiparametric fitting reduced the total uncertainty of the CO2 concentration measurements by 62 %, compared with the uncertainty that occurred when a simple CO2 calibration was applied, and by 90 %, when compared to the uncertainty declared by the manufacturer. The new SS-TF system allows the continuous measurement of CO2 fluxes and CO2 ambient air with low cost (EUR ∼1200), low energy demand (<5 W), and low maintenance (twice per year due to sensor calibration requirements).