In the late 1980s, a major beverage producer faced a crisis that few in the industry had anticipated. This company used carbon dioxide in production and accepted it based on supplier certification but later found that it contained benzene. Routine testing did not identify the contamination, and investigators discovered it only after the product reached the market. The result was recalls, reputational damage, and a major shift in how the industry viewed CO2 quality.
It also changed how the industry viewed CO2’s impact on product quality.
The lesson was clear: CO2 isn’t inherently pure, so it must be verified.
Today, that lesson is taking on renewed urgency.
A Supply Chain in Transition
The CO2 industry is undergoing a structural shift driven by supply instability, decarbonization initiatives, and the rapid adoption of alternative capture technologies. Biogas upgrading, waste to energy systems, post combustion carbon capture, biomass processing, and direct air capture are all contributing to a more diverse and resilient supply base.
This expansion is necessary but introduces a level of complexity that challenges traditional assumptions about CO2 quality. Historically, a limited number of industrial processes—such as ammonia production, hydrogen reforming, ethanol fermentation, and natural wells—supplied CO₂. These sources produced relatively consistent impurity profiles, enabling purity standards and testing practices to evolve around predictable risks.
That consistency no longer exists.
The New Reality of CO2 Purity
Each alternative source introduces its own contaminant signature.
Siloxanes and sulfur compounds may be present in biogas streams. Halogenated hydrocarbons can appear in waste to energy processes. Amine degradation products are a known risk in carbon capture systems. Even atmospheric contaminants must be considered in direct air capture.
In this environment, source type is no longer a reliable indicator of quality. At the same time, the CO2 value chain itself has become more complex. Multiple capture points, intermediate liquefaction, long distance transport, and blending of supply streams create additional opportunities for contamination.
Traditional quality assurance methods cannot handle this level of variability. Periodic laboratory testing and certificates of analysis provide limited visibility and cannot capture dynamic changes in gas composition. The industry is moving toward a more robust model that continuously measures quality rather than inferring it periodically, ensuring alignment with evolving purity standards.
Aligning Standards for a Global Market
As supply becomes more diverse and global, alignment between key standards bodies is increasingly important. The International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT, Global) sets strict rules for beverage grade CO2. These rules focus on safety, taste, and maintaining high product quality.
The European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA, Europe) and the Compressed Gas Association (CGA, United States) give broad guidance. It covers food and industrial uses, including production and handling practices tied to gas purity.
Efforts to align ISBT, CGA, and EIGA frameworks help set consistent purity standards and impurity limits across regions. They also support standard analytical methods and a shared basis for quality.
This alignment is essential for enabling the safe adoption of alternative CO2 sources at scale.
A Risk Based Approach to Source Qualification
ISBT has introduced alternative source qualification guidelines that reflect a more advanced understanding of CO2 quality risks. These guidelines emphasize:
- Detailed source risk assessment
- Expanded analytical screening beyond traditional contaminants
- Validation of purification processes
- Ongoing monitoring to ensure continuous compliance with purity standards
This approach recognizes that CO2 quality must be demonstrated through data, not assumed based on origin.
Measurement as the Foundation of Confidence
As the CO2 value chain evolves, continuous measurement is becoming central to quality assurance. Real time gas analysis detects trace contaminants at very low levels and gives immediate insight into process conditions. More importantly, it creates a continuous record of quality across the entire value chain, from capture through end use. This level of visibility is essential for identifying deviations, maintaining compliance, and building confidence among stakeholders.
At ASTG, this shift is reflected in the growing demand for integrated analytical systems that can operate reliably in complex process environments. These systems provide continuous, high-sensitivity measurements of critical contaminants. This helps operators check gas quality in real time and lets them respond quickly to changing conditions.
Enabling a New CO2 Valuation Model
The implications of this transformation extend beyond technical considerations. The way CO2 is valued is beginning to change.
In the past, CO2 was largely treated as a commodity defined by availability and cost. In a more complex supply environment, verified gas purity, consistency, and traceability are becoming key differentiators.
Measurement plays a central role in enabling this transition. It provides the data needed to qualify new sources, validate purification processes, and ensure ongoing compliance with purity standards. It also supports greater transparency across the supply chain, which is increasingly important for both regulators and end users.
For industries such as beverage production and semiconductor manufacturing, where gas quality directly impacts product performance, this level of assurance is not optional.
Building Trust Through Verification
The expansion of CO2 supply is critical to meeting global demand and supporting decarbonization goals. However, this expansion must be accompanied by a corresponding evolution in how quality is managed.
Harmonized purity standards provide the framework. Risk based qualification ensures that new sources are properly understood. Continuous measurement delivers the verification needed to maintain confidence.
Companies that invest in these capabilities will be best positioned to navigate the changing landscape and to participate in a more transparent and quality driven CO2 market.
ASTG supports this transition by delivering advanced analytical solutions. These solutions enable real-time verification of gas quality across the value chain. By combining measurement expertise with process understanding, ASTG helps customers reduce risk, improve reliability, and build trust in an increasingly complex CO2 ecosystem.