Versaperm has introduced a system to measure the vapour permeability of tarpaulins, which controls the rate at which the poisonous fumigation gasses are lost. This is legally controlled in many countries around the world.
Worldwide awareness of pests, vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, yellow fever and the Zika virus and farmers' concern for contamination-free food, has led to rapid growth in the market for fumigation. The most common form is for buildings and crops to be shrouded in tarpaulins to reduce fumigation costs and reduce the amount of fumigants released into the atmosphere.
Versaperm’s system allows for measurements to be made under a range of climatic and environmental conditions, including temperature, humidity and pressure. The system can also reportedly simulate diurnal and seasonal cycles under various climate and warming scenarios.
The equipment can measure the vapour permeability for any fumigant or vapour, Versaperm claims, which varies across different fumigants, tarpaulin materials and conditions. The system can be bought as a standalone unit or accessed via the company's laboratory-based testing service.
Understanding the ways tarpaulins and other barrier materials respond is necessary for compliance with legislation and to reduce costs.
Results from the system are typically accurate in the parts per million to parts per billion range, the company says, and it can optionally measure vapour permeability not just for fumigants but for water vapour, CO2, oxygen, hydrocarbons, and any other non-proscribed gas or vapour.