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Public safety

Chemical / Biological / Radiological / Nuclear / Explosives (CBRNE)

News and Updates

Events

Projects and Programs

Breathalyzer

Standards Development to Ensure Reliable Breath Analysis in the Field

Ongoing
Numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been identified in human breath. These compounds can be produced by the body or by organisms in the body (e.g., bacteria or viruses) and provide a non-invasive window into human health. Inexpensive point-of-care devices are being developed to diagnose

Surface Desorption Ambient Mass Spectrometry

Ongoing
The Surface and Trace Chemical Analysis Group maintains a range of research avenues into the characterization, analysis, and optimization of various commercial and in-house developed surface desorption ion sources. These research avenues also aim to advance our fundamental understanding of the

Ion Mobility Spectrometry

Ongoing
IMS employs a drift tube with an applied electric field to separate ionized molecules based on their mobility. The technique is robust and capable of differentiating a wide range of drug and explosive molecules. Recent work has sought to investigate the utility of IMS for screening of illicit

Nature of the Threat

Ongoing
"Improving Particle Collection Efficiency of Sampling Wipes used for Trace Chemical Detection", Gillen, Greg and Lawrence, Jeffrey and Sisco, Edward and Staymates, Matthew E. and Verkouteren, Jennifer and Robinson, Elizabeth L. and Bulk, Alexander, Anal. Methods, 14, 581-587 (2022). http://dx.doi

Publications

Tools and Instruments

Smiths Detection_6046si

Cabinet x-ray system

The Smiths Detection 6046si cabinet x-ray system was designed for security screening of bags, parcels and other objects of similar size. The system runs at 160
X-ray backscatter systems

X-ray Backscatter Systems

X-ray backscatter systems are used for the screening of personnel for hidden weapons and other contraband. Unlike conventional radiographic x-ray systems