有毒氣體傳感器代替金絲雀和老鼠在礦山

　　根據美國勞工部礦山安全與健康管理局（MSHA）報告，開采的安全性有了顯著提高。僅從1900到2014年間，煤礦死亡人數就由2014人追蹤到了448581，證實了這一說法；例如，在1900，有礦工和1489人死亡，而在礦工中，礦工的總數約為120000人，但只有死亡人數為16人。

　　有毒氣體經常在地下礦山中釋放出來，不易被人類感知到。礦井天然氣是在有機物向煤轉化過程中自然產生的。它不僅在礦的大氣中，而且還被吸收到煤的內表面。在開采過程中釋放，火災和爆炸是一個潛在的結果。

　　Carbon monoxide （CO） is an example of a possibly deadly gas that is devoid of color， taste， or smell and can form underground during a mine fire or after a mine explosion， so miners who survived the initial effects of a mine fire or explosion still face the risk of carbon monoxide asphyxia. Today’s coal miners rely on carbon monoxide detectors and monitors to recognize its presence underground. However， before the availability of modern detection devices， miners turned to Mother Nature for assistance. Canaries – and sometimes mice – were used to alert miners to the presence of the poisonous gas. Following a mine fire or explosion， mine rescuers would descend into the mine carrying a canary in a small wooden or metal cage. Any sign of distress from the canary was a clear signal that the conditions underground were unsafe， prompting a hasty return to the surface.