Gasmet GT5000 Terra Case Study: Real-Time Multi-Gas Monitoring

Challenge

SOCOTEC UK & Ireland identified an opportunity to expand its real-time air monitoring capability across several service areas, including Occupational Hygiene, Air & Emissions, indoor air quality, boundary monitoring and specialist industrial investigations.

Traditional monitoring methods such as pumps, tubes, filters and time-integrated sampling remain essential. However, real-time data can provide additional insight during live investigations by showing short-term concentration changes, transient releases and source-location behaviour.

SOCOTEC therefore wanted to assess whether a portable ambient FTIR analyser could provide rapid, multi-gas field data to support faster site decisions, improve investigation efficiency and strengthen client feedback.

Project Background/Description

SOCOTEC Air & Emissions already manages a fleet of FTIR analysers for stack emissions testing. As part of wider technology development, SOCOTEC reviewed the Gasmet GT5000 Terra, a portable ambient FTIR gas analyser designed for field multi-gas measurement.

The GT5000 Terra can measure up to 50 gas compounds simultaneously and is operated using Calcmet software. It includes an internal sample pump, wireless connectivity, battery operation and a portable field configuration.

A joint evaluation session was held at Gasmet’s Naseby facility, bringing together colleagues from Occupational Hygiene, Air & Emissions, Environmental and business development teams. The aim was to assess how ambient FTIR technology could support multiple SOCOTEC service lines and create additional value for clients.

Solution

The evaluation focused on practical applications where real-time multi-gas data could complement existing SOCOTEC services.

Areas considered included:

Workplace air monitoring and occupational hygiene investigations.
Diesel engine exhaust screening.
Paints, solvents and manufacturing emissions.
Acid gas releases from surface metal treatment processes.
Indoor air quality investigations.
Boundary monitoring and complex air-quality projects.
LDAR-style screening and source investigation.
Specialist industrial applications.

The GT5000 Terra was assessed as a flexible investigation and decision-support tool, providing immediate information that can help guide sampling strategy, identify changing conditions and support more responsive client advice.

Following the manufacturer session, SOCOTEC carried out a practical walk-around trial using the GT5000 Terra at the Altrincham office.

The trial included representative workplace areas such as gas storage, chemical storage, weighing activities, fume-hood locations and office/background areas.

A site-specific Calcmet Expert model was created to cover relevant gases and solvents known to be present on site, including common calibration gases, combustion gases, acid gases and workplace solvents. Additional compounds were also included to assess wider application potential, including SF₆.

The trial demonstrated that the GT5000 Terra can provide useful real-time information during walk-around investigations. It was particularly valuable for showing concentration changes by location, identifying source-linked behaviour and supporting rapid interpretation during the survey.

The trial also helped SOCOTEC consider practical deployment requirements, including battery planning for extended surveys, careful handling during mobile use and the development of robust field workflows.

The GT5000 Terra offers several advantages for SOCOTEC-style investigation work:

Real-time multi-gas measurement.
Simultaneous analysis of multiple IR-active compounds.
Application-specific Calcmet models.
Immediate trend information during site walk-arounds.
Potential to identify transient releases that may be missed by time-integrated sampling.
Simplified routine operation through Calcmet Easy, with more complex method development available through Calcmet Expert.

FTIR performance depends on the target gas, measurement range, spectral interferences, method configuration and application conditions. For suitable IR-active compounds, the technology can provide ppm or sub-ppm capability on a compound-specific basis.

The Gasmet GT5000 Terra evaluation showed strong potential for expanding SOCOTEC’s real-time monitoring capability across multiple service areas.

The technology is particularly relevant where clients need rapid information on changing gas concentrations, source behaviour or complex workplace and environmental conditions. Potential applications include occupational hygiene investigations, boundary monitoring, LDAR-style screening, indoor air quality, solvent-release investigations and specialist industrial projects.

Further controlled trials and application-specific validation will help SOCOTEC refine the most suitable workflows. However, the initial training and SOCOTEC walk-around trial indicate that portable ambient FTIR could become a valuable addition to SOCOTEC’s monitoring and investigation toolkit.

Conclusion

The GT5000 Terra evaluation supports SOCOTEC’s commitment to innovation, technical collaboration and responsive client service.

By combining Gasmet’s instrument expertise, SOCOTEC’s internal FTIR capability and practical field testing, SOCOTEC has identified a credible opportunity to enhance real-time air monitoring across several business areas.