How does the newest model of the laser methane detector agree with the methane sensors of respiration chambers?

Scientists from METHAGENE published their answer to this question in an article titled ‘The agreement between two next-generation laser methane detectors and respiration chamber facilities in recording methane concentrations in the spent air produced by dairy cows’ in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture (Link: (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168169917308505).
Part of the data were collected during an STSM which was funded by METHAGENE. The portable hand-held laser methane (LMD) detector was originally developed to detect high concentrations of methane in gas leaks from a safe distance. In this study, the device was used to measure methane concentrations of the air in respiration chambers during trials with dairy cows. There was a good agreement between the chamber’s sensors and the LMD. The LMD was even able to detect activity differences of the cows similarly to the chamber’s methane sensors. Two LMDs of the same model were also in good agreement with each other. This is important when cows are measured in parallel with two or more devices.

The new model of the LMD is an accurate sensor for dynamic, low concentrations of methane as they are appear in the breath of dairy cows. However, further research is needed to study the use of the LMD to directly measure methane emissions from cows on-farm.