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Press Release

Unrivaled accuracy, precision and stability help scientists observe and understand the earth's carbon cycle

Sunnyvale, CA, August 31, 2007 - Picarro, Inc., leading manufacturer of high-performance trace gas analyzers based on patented Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) technology today announced the general availability of the EnviroSense 3000i atmospheric monitor.

EnviroSense 3000i is a field-deployable, real-time, ambient gas monitor that measures atmospheric levels of methane and carbon dioxide with parts-per-billion (ppbv) sensitivity and water vapor with parts-per-million (ppmv) sensitivity.

"Researchers investigating global climate change need measurements of greenhouse gases with extreme precision and accuracy to enable better models of the carbon cycle," stated Dr. Eric Crosson, Chief Technology Officer at Picarro. "The high accuracy, excellent precision and low maintenance of EnviroSense 3000i make it ideally suited to address the demanding requirements of atmospheric air-monitoring applications."

Existing atmospheric monitors based on non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) sensors have known problems -- they are non-linear, sensitive to water vapor concentration, and susceptible to drift. Furthermore, these instruments require extensive modifications and sample conditioning, frequent calibration, and significant post processing of the data.

In contrast, EnviroSense 3000i maintains high linearity, precision, and accuracy over changing environmental conditions, with minimal calibration. The unique capabilities of the underlying CRDS technology are complemented by a superior analyzer design, including a high-precision wavelength monitor providing immunity to interfering gases, meticulous temperature and pressure control, and robust digital signal processing that transforms raw data into directly useable information.

Deployment in several atmospheric monitoring and meteorological facilities, including Penn State University, has shown that the analyzer requires minimal recalibration and no sample conditioning.

"The EnviroSense 3000i analyzers are providing invaluable field measurements," said Ken Davis, Associate Professor of Meteorology at Penn State University. "High-precision and high-accuracy measurements of atmospheric composition, like those acquired by the Picarro EnviroSense analyzer, are essential to our ability to observe and understand the earth's carbon cycle. Picarro has been very responsive to our scientific needs." "We deployed 5 EnviroSense units in an experimental observational network in the spring of 2007," said Scott Richardson, Research Associate at Penn State, "and we have found the stability of the instruments to be truly remarkable. The instruments should significantly simplify the task of obtaining high-quality measurements of atmospheric composition."

EnviroSense 3000i is the first of a suite of analyzers designed to support scientists who investigate global climate change. Two additional monitors will be introduced shortly: EnviroSense 2000f, a flux methane and carbon dioxide analyzer, and EnviroSense 2000i (isotopic CO2 and CH4).

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