Autonomous Monitor for Toxic Gas Exposure

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Project Summary The overall goal of this SBIR project is to develop a miniature, microfarbicated gas chromatography (micro GC) device for autonomous, specific monitoring of toxic VOC (volatile organic compound) exposure in the workplace. Integration of multiple critical GC components into a single chip is the key differentiator of the micro GC. Specific aims of the Phase I study include prototyping of a novel microGC column, demonstration of on-chip temperature control, and proof of concept of monolithic integration. The final product will be a plug-and-play micro GC with capabilities of on-board carrier gas generation, sampling, and calibration. Many chemical and industrial processes cause emissions of VOCs. Some VOCs are toxic or even carcinogenic, posing a serious health hazard to workers. As a result, there is an urgent need for workplace VOC exposure monitoring. Existing methods for assessment of VOC exposure, however, have major limitations. For example, both colorimetric detection tubes and photoionization sensors, while simple to deploy, lack specificity. Conventional GC instruments, although providing high specificity and sensitivity, are bulky and expensive to purchase, operate, and maintain, typically require offline sampling, and are thus not convenient or cost- effective for on-site monitoring applications. Currently, there is a critical unmet need for specific monitoring of VOC exposure in an autonomous and continuous manner. The proposed micro GC will provide an opportunity to address this requirement.