Laser Photoacoustic Spectroscopy: A Powerful Tool for Measurement of Trace Gases of Biological Interest at Sub-PPB Level

摘要

A high sensitive photoacoustic system has been developed to monitor trace gases released by biological samples at concentrations of sub-ppb level. We have applied this technique to measure the release of the plant hormone ethylene during seed germination and ripening of climacteric fruits and of the marker ethylene as a result of doping cultures of human cells with heavy metals, of damaging living organisms by ionising radiation (X-ray) and of unleashing lipid peroxidation in lung epithelium following the inhalation of cigarette smoke.