Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Pesticides are a continuing source and significant contributor to decreases in air quality. Most pesticides create risk to humans, animals, or the environment by causing health problems, such as birth defects, nerve damage, cancer, and effects that might manifest themselves in the future. Accurate tracking of residual pesticides can aid in eliminating these effects. Today, accurate monitoring requires that samples be collected in the field and transported to a laboratory for analysis; a costly and time-consuming method. To aid in the safe usage and monitoring of pesticides, Seacoast Science, proposes to develop an inexpensive, portable sensor system capable of accurately detecting pesticides and their degradation products. Seacoast Science will design an inexpensive Handheld Pesticide Detector (HPD) for industrial and regulatory use. This microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor system utilizes an array of micromachined capacitors, each coated with chemoselective
polymers optimized for detecting and identifying pesticides. Capable of detecting volatile components of many pesticide mixtures, each device has ten sensors on a single chip, with several different coatings for redundancy and interferent rejection. The MEMS transducers require little power and are inexpensive to produce in large quantities. Long-term, unattended monitoring of storage and manufacturing sites may be possible for the first time.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The overall objective of this program is to demonstrate the feasibility of an inexpensive, low-power, lightweight pesticide detector using multiple MEMS-based micro capacitor sensors. The initial objective of the Phase I program is to demonstrate detection of the chemicals of interest and establish lower limits of detection without preconcentration. This information will then be used to design a detector system that could be built in Phase I, and contains a sampling system with preconcentration, a sensor array, and which outputs data identifying and quantifying chemicals of interest. Our specific design will have the following features: 1.An array of microcapacitor sensors coated with Seacoast Science's chemoselective polymers. 2.Signal processing and communication circuits that are currently being commercialized by Seacoast Science for the MEMS detector. 3.A detector unit target cost of under $250 in volumes of over 10,000
Project Methods
We will begin with characterization and optimization of our current sensor array for detection of the three sample fumigants: dichloropropene, methyl bromide, and methyl isothiocyanate. These materials represent some of the commonly used fumigants, herbicides or insecticides and are ranked in the top 15 by both the EPA and the Cal. Dept of Pesticide Regulation. This will be followed by an optimized design of the Seacoast Science microcapacitor sensor system for the detection of those chemicals over the desired range of concentrations. The work done will be summarized in monthly reports. The specific Phase I objectives are: 1. Optimize the chemoselective polymer coatings applied to the microcapacitor sensors for the detection of chosen fumigants. 2. Characterize the Phase I prototype using pesticides and interferents. 3. Characterize the requirements of a sampling/preconcentration system. 4. Complete and document the design of an inexpensive mass-producible pesticide
detector system that will meet detection requirements after further development in Phase II