Field Deployable Vapor Intrusion Monitor

描述：蒸汽入侵是挥发性有机化合物从地下迁移到上面的建筑物中，是大量人口接触危险化学品的主要原因。为了评估接触蒸汽侵入化合物对健康的影响，需要对室内空气进行监测。常规的蒸汽侵入监测是通过现场样品采集和实验室分析来完成的。传统方法的缺点包括：需要样品检索、处理时间延长、不能充分跟踪浓度随时间的变化以及成本高。为了解决这些问题，需要能够安装或操作并提供连续和/或短期测量的便携式分析方法。本第二阶段小型企业创新研究提案通过紧凑型盒式采样和检测方法满足了这一需求，该方法与便携式傅立叶变换红外(FTIR)光谱仪相结合，可以检测低浓度和高选择性的蒸汽入侵化合物。该方法结合了固相萃取的进展，并开发了用于光波导的新型涂层。该方法与大多数其他检测方法不同，因为它为化合物的明确识别提供了化学特征。其他优点包括：紧凑/便携的尺寸、近乎实时的结果、易于自动化、所需的专业知识最少、无试剂、无溶剂和嵌入式遥测。第一阶段的研究成功地证明了该方法的可行性，检测到了十亿分之几的低水平氯化蒸汽入侵化合物。提出了第二阶段后续研究，强调了解用于选择性检测的关键部件的能力，并解决了组装功能便携设备所需的方法。这项研究将在超级基金的现场对这些设备的性能进行表征。这项研究的影响超出了对蒸汽入侵监测的直接关注。样品制备方法的改进可以应用于需要便携式现场分析的任何地方，例如：工作场所安全、法医分析、食品安全、制药和饮用水质量。

DESCRIPTION: Vapor intrusion is the migration of volatile organic chemicals from below ground into overlying buildings and is a major cause of large population exposure to hazardous chemicals. To assess health impacts of exposure to vapor intrusion compounds, monitoring of indoor air is required. Conventional vapor intrusion monitoring is done by on-site sample collection followed by laboratory analysis. Disadvantages of the conventional method include: the need for sample retrieval, extended processing times, inability to adequately track variations in concentration over time and high cost. Portable analysis methods that can be installed or operated and provide continuous and/or short term measurements are needed to solve these problems. This Phase II Small Business Innovation Research proposal addresses this need through a compact cartridge-based sampling and detection method that, when combined with a portable Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, can detect vapor intrusion compounds at low concentrations and with high selectivity. The approach incorporates advances in solid phase extraction and exploits novel coatings for optical waveguides. The method is differentiated from most other detection methods because it provides chemical signatures for unambiguous identification of compounds. Additional advantages include: compact/portable size, near real-time results, readily automated, minimal expertise required, reagent- free, solvent-free and embedded telemetry. The Phase I study successfully demonstrated the method's feasibility by detecting chlorinated vapor intrusion compounds at low parts per billion levels. A Phase II follow on study is proposed emphasizing understanding the capabilities of key components used for selective detection and addresses the methods needed for assembly of a function portable device. The study will characterize the devices' performance at a Superfund field site. The impact of this research goes beyond the immediate focus on vapor intrusion monitoring. Improvements in sample preparation methods can be applied wherever portable on-site analysis is desired, such as: workplace safety, forensic analysis, food safety, pharmaceutical manufacture, and drinking water qualities.