Ethylene is a gaseous plant hormone which regulates a wide range of biological processes in plants. It is associated with the ripening processes in a number of fruits such as apples and pears. Better understanding of the effects of ethylene concentration on the ripening process can lead to improved management of fruit harvesting, storage and transportation. However, current methods used to measure ethylene gas are time-consuming and rely on sophisticated instrumental methods. These methods include gas chromatography and photoacoustic spectrometry.