Compressed breathing air must be clean and free from contamination, as it is either supplied directly to users through air-fed breathing equipment or used to fill breathing air cylinders.

If contaminants enter either of these systems, or if a compressor develops a fault, unsafe air can reach the user very quickly, potentially creating serious health and safety risks.

Compressed air monitoring helps by:

• Protecting personnel who rely on breathing air equipment
• Detecting harmful contaminants in real time
• Supporting compliance with regulatory and industry standards
• Identifying compressor faults at an early stage
• Preventing contaminated cylinders from being filled
• Supporting safe and effective compressor maintenance programs

By providing continuous visibility of air quality, compressed air monitoring helps ensure breathing air remains safe, compliant, and fit for purpose.

Breathing air compressors provide clean, filtered air to respiratory protective equipment (RPE), helping protect users from hazardous gases, fumes, dust, and other airborne contaminants.

Common applications for breathing air compressors include:

• Firefighting
• Damage control operations
• Diving
• Confined space entry
• Spray painting
• Sandblasting
• HAZMAT response
• Welding operations
• Laboratory environments

In each of these applications, maintaining clean, compliant breathing air is critical to protecting personnel and ensuring respiratory equipment performs as intended.

Compressed air is not limited to breathing air applications. It is also widely used wherever clean, reliable air is required to support critical operations and equipment performance.

Examples of process air applications include:

• Sounding alarms and whistles onboard naval vessels
• Missile launch and firing systems
• Starting marine and ship engines
• Industrial process control systems
• Defense and marine applications

In these environments, compressed air plays a vital role in operational reliability. Monitoring air quality helps identify contamination, moisture, and system faults before they impact equipment performance, safety, or mission readiness.

Breathing air compressors draw in ambient air and pass it through a series of compression, cooling, and filtration stages. Throughout this process, moisture, particles, oil vapors, and other contaminants are removed to produce clean, breathable air suitable for use with respiratory protective equipment (RPE).

Unlike standard air compressors, breathing air compressors are specifically designed for life-support applications where air quality is critical. Maintaining clean, compliant air is essential to protect users who rely on the system for safe respiration in hazardous environments.

Contaminants in compressed breathing air can have serious consequences if inhaled. Continuous monitoring helps ensure air quality remains safe for users of respiratory protective equipment (RPE).

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)

Carbon dioxide can affect breathing and cognitive function when present at elevated concentrations. Exposure may cause individuals to breathe more deeply and rapidly, while higher levels can lead to headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and impaired decision-making. Increased CO₂ levels may also increase the effects of other airborne contaminants.

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

Carbon monoxide is a highly toxic gas that is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Exposure can cause headaches, dizziness, confusion, and nausea. At higher concentrations, carbon monoxide can be life-threatening.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

VOCs are a group of airborne contaminants that may originate from oils, fuels, solvents, and other substances. Exposure can cause irritation, breathing difficulties, headaches, and nausea, while some VOCs may affect the nervous system and other organs with prolonged exposure.

Water Vapor / Dew Point

Excess moisture within a compressed air system can lead to corrosion, equipment damage, microbial growth, and blockages. Monitoring dew point helps maintain air quality and supports the long-term reliability and performance of the compressed air system.

There are several methods used to check compressed breathing air for contaminants:

• Colorimetric tubes
• Off-site laboratory testing
• Real-time gas analyzers

While colorimetric tubes can provide a simple indication of contaminant levels, they can be time-consuming to use and are susceptible to user interpretation and human error. Off-site laboratory testing can provide detailed analysis, but it is often costly and does not deliver immediate results.

Real-time gas analyzers provide continuous monitoring of compressed air quality, allowing contaminants to be detected as they occur. This enables immediate corrective action to be taken, helping protect users, maintain compliance, and identify system issues before they become critical.

The ACG+ is designed to continuously monitor compressed breathing air at the compressor outlet, before air reaches breathing air cylinders or personnel using air-fed respiratory equipment.

If contamination is detected, the system can be configured to shut down the compressor, helping prevent unsafe air from reaching users or being introduced into breathing air cylinders.

The ACG+ continuously monitors:

• Oxygen (O₂)
• Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
• Carbon monoxide (CO)
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
• Dew Point

By providing real-time analysis of compressed air quality, the ACG+ helps identify contamination events as they occur, enabling immediate corrective action.

The system supports compliance with EN12021, CGA, CSA, and OSHA requirements, while providing continuous monitoring throughout compressor operation to help ensure breathing air remains safe and compliant.

Continuous compressed air monitoring provides a range of operational, safety, and compliance benefits, including:

• Continuous real-time monitoring of air quality
• Early warning of contamination events
• Support for breathing air compliance requirements
• Enhanced protection for personnel using breathing air equipment
• Reduced reliance on manual tube testing
• Improved compressor maintenance planning
• Prevention of contaminated breathing air cylinders being filled
• Traceable records of air quality performance
• Flexible installation options, including portable and wall-mounted configurations
• Low cost of ownership through user-maintainable systems

By providing continuous visibility of compressed air quality, monitoring systems help ensure safe, compliant, and reliable operation across breathing air and process air applications.

Compressed air monitoring is used across a wide range of safety-critical industries where air quality, equipment reliability, and regulatory compliance are essential.

Common applications include:

• Fire and rescue services
• Commercial and military diving operations
• Defense and marine environments
• Confined space entry
• HAZMAT response
• Spray painting operations
• Sandblasting applications
• Welding environments
• Laboratories and research facilities
• Industrial manufacturing
• Compressor service and maintenance providers
• Process air systems

In each of these sectors, continuous air quality monitoring helps protect personnel, support compliance, improve operational reliability, and ensure compressed air remains fit for purpose.

An effective compressed air monitoring strategy should include:

• Continuous real-time gas analysis
• Monitoring compressor output before air reaches cylinders or personnel using breathing equipment
• Regular calibration and maintenance of monitoring equipment
• Measuring key parameters including oxygen (O₂), carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and dew point
• Ensuring adequate airflow and pressure to respiratory protective equipment (RPE)
• Preventing compressor intake contamination from nearby vehicles, machinery, exhaust emissions, or industrial processes
• Using monitoring equipment that is appropriate for the application and relevant compliance requirements

By combining continuous monitoring with proper maintenance and operating practices, organizations can help ensure compressed air remains safe, compliant, and fit for its intended purpose.

Breathing air is used to support life, so it must be clean, safe, and free from harmful contaminants that could affect the health and safety of the user.

Key measurements typically include oxygen (O₂), carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and dew point, helping ensure compressed air remains safe, compliant, and suitable for its intended application.

No. Standard air compressors are not designed for breathing air applications. They can concentrate contaminants present in the surrounding environment and may introduce oil, water vapor, or other impurities into the air supply, making the air unsuitable for respiratory use without appropriate filtration, monitoring, and treatment.

Real-time monitoring can detect contamination as it occurs, providing immediate warning of unsafe air quality conditions. Periodic testing, by comparison, only reflects the condition of the air at the time the sample was taken and may not identify contamination that develops between tests.

The ACG+ continuously monitors oxygen (O₂), carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and dew point in compressed breathing air, helping ensure air quality remains safe, compliant, and suitable for respiratory use.