Chemical Sniffing Instrumentation for Security Applications

Abstract

Border control for homeland security faces major challenges worldwide due to chemical threats from national and/or international terrorism as well as organized crime. A wide range of technologies and systems with threat detection and monitoring capabilities has emerged to identify the chemical footprint associated with these illegal activities. This review paper investigates artificial sniffing technologies used as chemical sensors for point-of-use chemical analysis, especially during border security applications. This article presents an overview of (a) the existing available technologies reported in the scientific literature for threat screening, (b) commercially available, portable (hand-held and stand-off) chemical detection systems, and (c) their underlying functional and operational principles. Emphasis is given to technologies that have been developed for in-field security operations, but laboratory developed techniques are also summarized as emerging technologies. The chemical analytes of interest in this review are (a) volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with security applications (e.g., illegal, hazardous, and terrorist events), (b) chemical "signatures" associated with human presence, and

Analytical Validation of a Portable Mass Spectrometer Featuring Interchangeable, Ambient Ionization Sources for High Throughput Forensic Evidence Screening

“…Several portable detection technologies have been recently investigated for forensic analysis, including Raman spectroscopy [33], near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) [34], and X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XRF). Several portable MS systems featuring membrane introduction or GC separations have been reported [35,36], including the novel application of vehicle-mounted systems for spatial location of clandestine methamphetamine labs via volatile effluent mapping by Verbeck and co-workers [37], and although commercial products are available [38], they have yet to be broadly incorporated into forensic investigation and have preparative constraints similar to their lab-based counterparts.…”

A Low-Cost, Simplified Platform of Interchangeable, Ambient Ionization Sources for Rapid, Forensic Evidence Screening on Portable Mass Spectrometric Instrumentation

“…Figure S1 provides photos for scale, as well as extraneous, instrument specific information. System dimensions (60 × 50 × 40 cm, L × W × H) and weight (~45 kg), including all required peripherals for ambient ionization sources, is in line with fieldability requirements [2,45]. The AI-MS 1.2 can be operated in both positive and negative ion mode, utilizing MS/MS spectra for accurate chemical identification, which is afforded by the CIT mass analyzer.…”

Detection of chemical warfare agent simulants and hydrolysis products in biological samples by paper spray mass spectrometry

“…Progress toward miniaturization has been made by several vendors including the BaySpec Portability, MassTech Explorer, Inficon Hapsite, Bruker E2 M, and Griffon 824. 32 Additionally, an effort to integrate paper spray cartridges in a plug-and-play format with a miniaturized MS has been reported. 33 In this format, paper spray would be useful in a field-forward lab to rapidly analyze unknown samples collected by the warfighter and feedback the relevant information regarding CWAs.…”