Development of a Microfluidic Paper Analytical Device (uPAD) for Airborne Metals

摘要/摘要 这项研究的主要目标是开发新技术来表征个人暴露于 工作场所空气中的金属。第二个目标是在这两个方面提高最先进的水平 空气中金属暴露评估的灵敏度和时间分辨率。这一努力的关键是创新的 一种被称为微流控纸分析设备(PADS)的技术，它将采样和分析结合在一起 成本高、灵敏度高的格式。我们的中心假设是，气垫可以集成到个人气雾剂中 取样和分析次数较少的空气中金属个人暴露的定量化采样器 不到一个小时。为了验证这一假设，我们提出了以下具体目标：(1)构建单一分析物 用于金属分析的微流控纸张分析装置(PAD)，与现有的尺寸选择兼容 个人气溶胶采样器；(2)构建用于分析铅、铜、锰和镍的多分析物平台 空气中的浓度；(3)验证多分析物PAD的现场性能。 上述目标的成功实现将为工业卫生员提供一种灵敏的现场技术 评估工作场所空气中的金属危害。这样的技术代表了在 暴露评估，因为它有可能取代传统的样品运送和 实验室分析(这两者都是时间和资源密集型的)，使用直接的现场分析技术 提高了灵敏度和时间分辨率。本研究为国家职业研究做出了贡献 议程(NORA)，开发一种新的、廉价的工具(跨部门主题)用于评估 工人接触空气中金属(一个跨部门主题)(影响运输/公用事业、制造业、 和建筑业)。PAD样品的化学分析预计至少要达到 与传统的电感耦合等离子体质谱或原子发射光谱技术相比，分析成本低得多(每个样品约5美元)。 此外，将PAD集成到现有的气溶胶采样设备(即可吸入过滤器采样器)中将 通过执业职业健康专业人员来提高其接受度。这项技术可能会打开通往 气溶胶暴露评估的一个新领域，因为PAD可用于探测和量化许多金属， 有机或无机化合物。

Summary/Abstract The primary objective of this research is to develop new technology to characterize personal exposure to airborne metals in the workplace. The secondary objective is to improve upon the state-of-the-art in both sensitivity and time-resolution of airborne metals exposure assessment. Key to this effort is an innovative technology called microfluidic paper analytical devices (¿PADs) that integrate sampling with analysis in a low cost, high sensitivity format. Our central hypothesis is that ¿PADs can be integrated into personal aerosol samplers for quantification of personal exposure to airborne metals with sampling and analysis times of less than one hour. To test this hypothesis, we propose the following specific aims: (1) Construct a single-analyte microfluidic paper analytical device (¿PAD) for metal analysis that is compatible with existing, size-selective personal aerosol samplers; (2) Construct a multi-analyte ¿PAD for analysis of Pb, Cu, Mn, and Ni concentrations in air; (3) Validate the performance of the multi-analyte ¿PAD in the field. Successful completion of the above aims will provide industrial hygienists with a sensitive, in-situ technique to assess airborne metal hazards in the workplace. Such technology represents a paradigm shift in the field of exposure assessment, as it has the potential to replace the traditional practice of sample shipment and laboratory analysis (both of which are time and resource intensive) with a direct, field analysis technique with improved sensitivity and time-resolution. This research contributes to the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) by developing a new and inexpensive instrumentation (a cross-sector theme) for assessing worker exposure (a cross-sector theme) to airborne metals (affecting the transportation/utilities, manufacturing, and construction sectors). Chemical analysis of a ¿PAD sample is expected to be at least an order of magnitude less expensive (around 5$ per sample) than analysis with traditional ICP-MS or AES techniques. Furthermore, integrating the ¿PAD into existing aerosol sampling devices (i.e., inhalable filter samplers) will enhance its acceptance by practicing occupational health professionals. This technology may open the door to a new realm of aerosol exposure assessment, as ¿PADs can be adapted to detect and quantify many metal, organic, or inorganic compounds.