Cheap and fast ambient air monitoring of pesticides

急性农药中毒仍然是发达国家和发展中国家的一个巨大的健康问题。在国内，2004年的一项研究估计，每10万名美国农业工人中就有18人患有急性农药中毒，2002年对加州空气的一项研究发现，城市地区三种农药的含量达到了危险水平。由于农药主要是通过喷雾器或飞机空中喷洒，喷雾漂移可能使农药远离目标区域，因此需要在农药使用地点和周围地区广泛监测农药浓度，以保护公众免受危险程度的接触。然而，目前的监测战略太慢，成本太高，无法大范围地做到这一点。iSense，LLC开发了一种新型传感器技术，可以检测低于其允许暴露（PEL）限值的多个化学部分中的各种有毒工业化学品（TIC）。该技术快速、廉价，能够区分TICS以及复杂的化合物混合物。我们建议测试，改进和优化这一技术对有机磷农药的检测和鉴定，在美国农药中毒中确定的主要类型的农药。如果成功的话，iSense技术可以通过同时识别导致农药中毒的农药，大大减少不健康的农药暴露，并改善医疗服务。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Acute pesticide poisoning remains a vast health problem in the developed and developing world. Domestically, a 2004 study estimates that 18 of every 100,000 US agricultural workers suffer from acute pesticide poisoning and a 2002 study of California air found dangerous levels of three pesticides in urban areas. Since pesticides are primarily applied by sprayers or aerially from planes, where spray drift can translate pesticides far from their targeted areas, widespread monitoring of pesticide concentration at the site of their use and in surrounding areas is required to protect the public from dangerous levels of exposure. However, current monitoring strategies are too slow and costly to do this on a widespread scale. iSense, LLC has developed a novel sensor technology that can detect various toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) across multiple chemical moieties below their permissible exposure (PEL) limit. The technology is rapid, inexpensive and capable of distinguishing between TICS as well as complex mixtures of compounds. We propose to test, improve and optimize this technology toward the detection and identification of organophosphate pesticides, the leading type of pesticide identified in US pesticide poisoning. If successful, iSense technology could drastically reduce unhealthy pesticide exposure and improve medical treatment by simultaneously identifying the pesticides responsible for pesticide poisoning.