Gas Sensing Equipment for Environmental Sciences Research

在动物体内，新陈代谢是通过氧气的摄取和二氧化碳的分泌来衡量的。环境的直接变化(如气候变化、缺氧或盐度变化)或暴露在碳氢化合物、药物和其他污染物等环境毒物中，都可以改变环境中任何一种气体的可获得性。氧气和二氧化碳的水平可能会在短期内发生变化，但它们也在地球历史上发生了变化。因此，现代动物对不同水平的这些气体的耐受性可以为早期动物的进化提供信息。在这份提案中，有跨学科参与和合作历史的5名阿尔伯塔大学的科学家要求建立一个由传感器、仪表和密封室组成的系统，作为一个组合系统来测量并向动物提供精确的氧气和二氧化碳气体水平。研究设备将提供测量环境舱中氧气和二氧化碳的能力，环境舱的大小从200微升到整个海洋生态系统的深度。这将使我们能够灵活地在多个尺度上测量动物和环境中的氧气和二氧化碳使用量。拟议的系统将由水生科学(生理学、毒理学、生物科学和地球科学)的各种研究人员合作使用，但也可用于其他学科。

In animals, metabolism is measured by uptake of oxygen and secretion of carbon dioxide. Either direct changes in the environment (e.g. climate change, hypoxia or changes in salinity) or by exposure to environmental toxicants such as hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals and other pollutants can change availability of either gas in the environment. Oxygen and carbon dioxide levels may change over the short term, but they have also changed over earth's history. Tolerances of modern animals to different levels of these gases can therefore be informative about the evolution of early animals. In this proposal, 5 University of Alberta scientists with a history of cross-disciplinary engagement and collaboration request a system of sensors, meters and chambers to be constructed as a combined system to measure and also deliver precise levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide gases to animals. The research equipment will provide the ability to measure oxygen and carbon dioxide in environmental chambers ranging in size from a 200 microlitres to whole ocean ecosystems at depth. This will allow us the flexibility to measure oxygen and carbon dioxide use in animals and environments at multiple scales. The proposed system will be used collaboratively by a wide variety of researchers in the aquatic sciences (physiology, toxicology, ichnology and earth sciences) but also be available to other disciplines.