Benzene in beverage-grade CO₂, verified to 1 ppb

AirBreather measuring BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene) in beverage-grade CO₂, with benzene to 1 ppb

Approved to Coca-Cola reference NA-KO-102. One of the world's largest beverage producers asked for this analyzer. ASTG built it.

Carbon dioxide is an ingredient. When it carbonates a drink, every impurity it carries goes with it, and benzene is the one no producer or bottler can afford to miss. It is a known carcinogen, it is regulated, and a single contaminated batch can halt a line, trigger a recall and damage a brand built over decades. Beverage-grade CO₂ benzene monitoring is the assurance your product is safe to sell.

AirBreather measures benzene in beverage-grade CO₂ to a 1 ppb detection limit, twenty times below the 20 ppb v/v aromatic-hydrocarbon limit in the ISBT guidelines. That headroom is the difference between a result that sits on the limit and one that proves compliance with room to spare, batch after batch.

Request a benzene-assurance review of your CO₂ stream

A superior detection limit, with speciation where you need it

AirBreather measures aromatics on a dedicated GC-PID, with an analyte-specific method for benzene. The ISBT guideline reports aromatics as a single number, expressed as benzene, and AirBreather reports them the same way. Where an application calls for more, individual BTEX speciation is available, with benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene each resolved separately. Knowing the species, not just the sum, is how you trace contamination to its source.

One platform for the instrument-measurable ISBT parameters

Benzene is the headline. The same system analyzes multiple impurities simultaneously against the instrument-measurable requirements of the ISBT guideline and the CGA and EIGA specifications: aromatics on the GC-PID, sulfur and methanol on the FTIR, and oxygen, which infrared cannot detect, on an optional oxygen analyzer. Total sulfur resolves to 0.010 ppm; methanol to 0.015 ppm. Non-volatile residues and the odor, taste and appearance tests are laboratory and sensory tests, which AirBreather does not perform.

Built for the way CO₂ is actually produced and delivered

For producers, AirBreather protects the certification your customers depend on. It runs continuous analysis at up to 12 sample points, uses Sample Safety Tech to eliminate cross-contamination, and turns results around in four minutes. It needs no carrier gas other than air, no span gases, no calibration gases. It validates internally. It also reads recycled and alternative CO₂ sources, which matters as producers qualify new feedstocks against a tightening supply.

For bottlers, it protects at the point of use. Where CO₂ arrives by tanker, the optional DIP-1 driver interface panel lets the driver fill the storage tank through a secure sequence, and optional built-in alarms flag concentration, flow and diagnostic conditions. The Secure COA module issues certificates of analysis, and an FDA 21 CFR Part 11 module is available for electronic records and signatures. Service intervals are one year.

Assurance you can defend

AirBreather was developed at one of the world's largest beverage manufacturers' request over five years, including two years of field trials and one year of in-service validation. It carries Coca-Cola approval NA-KO-102. It was built to be the analyzer you can stand behind when it matters. CO₂ supply is tightening and regulatory scrutiny is increasing. The margin between detection limit and compliance limit is what gets audited.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the ISBT limit for benzene in beverage-grade CO₂?
The ISBT guidelines set the aromatic-hydrocarbon limit, expressed as benzene, at 0.020 ppm v/v (20 ppb). AirBreather detects to 1 ppb, a 20× margin.

How does AirBreather detect benzene?
AirBreather uses a dedicated GC-PID with an analyte-specific method for benzene, detected to 1 ppb. For ISBT reporting, aromatics are reported as benzene; individual BTEX speciation (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene) is available where an application requires it.

Which standards does it meet?
It is designed to meet the instrument-measurable requirements of the ISBT guideline and the CGA and EIGA specifications, and carries Coca-Cola approval NA-KO-102.