Fast, quantitative analysis of trichloroethylene (TCE) in water

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant Groundwater contamination by chlorinated compounds is a significant risk to public health Chlorine containing compounds ranging from pesticides to industrial solvents are slow to degrade through natural pathways Their wide ranging presence is notable for example the industrial solvent trichloroethylene TCE has been detected at over fourteen hundred DOD installations twenty three DOE installations and thousands of commercial and residential sites nationwide including of Superfund sites Although various remediation techniques are under study all sites would benefit from rapid ppb level monitoring These compounds are widely present at minute low part per billion ppb concentrations At the same time our water sources are threatened by numerous other pollutants with regulatory limits at ppb levels Currently available laboratory based tools that ca measure these very low concentrations are expensive complex and cumbersome instruments They do not enable the types of rapid frequent economical and broad based testing needed to adequately monitor the nationandapos s water sources Next generation capabilities to test water samples at sub ppb for a wide variety of compounds in fewer than five minutes would vastly improve the capabilities of water monitors and researchers This ability will in turn allow water suppliers to increase monitoring frequency and to implement remediation steps and will allow researchers to focus on obtaining more data and a better understanding of the health effects of chronic exposure OndaVia intends to develop the advanced technology that is needed For the multi phase SBIR project envisioned here OndaVia proposes to develop prototype validate and commercialize a rapid analysis instrument designed to measure compounds in aqueous solution using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy SERS This instrument relies upon OndaViaandapos s proven and proprietary SERS detection technology that is both sensitive and quantitative resulting in an easy to use rapid analysis instrument with few parts per billion sensitivity Specific Phase I Aims are focused on proving the feasibility of detecting TCE at ppb using our unique detector and determining a quantitative calibration curve for TCE over to ppb Phase I success will set the stage for follow on Phase II work focused on fully demonstrating validating the capabilities of our prototype system with the goal of achieving ppb detection levels in field samples in preparation for andquot Phase IIIandquot commercial development with private sector investors industry partners PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE Clean water is necessary for a healthy society yet we are faced with constant new concerns about pollution in our water sources including ever increasing threats from trace pollutants such as chlorinated solvents that are widely present in our water supplies Unfortunately our water managers research scientists and government agencies do not have available the types of low cost high performance analytical tools they need to adequately study and monitor water pollutants at relevant parts per billion ppb levels OndaViaandapos s goal for this SBIR Phase I project is to prove the feasibility of developing commercializing the rapid easy to use economical instrument that is needed to measure accurately water contamination at ppb levels to boost our countryandapos s ability to monitor and protect our surface ground waste and drinking water sources