Onboard PCB Detection using a Portable Raman Analyzer

Contractors dismantling ships must ensure personnel are not at risk and no regulated material release occurs. The contractor is unlikely to have preexisting knowledge of toxins; therefore continuous materials analysis is part of the dismantling operation. For example, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) was used routinely in ship components ranging from gaskets to paints to power cords. Highly regulated by the EPA today, PCB must be identified and quantified. There is no EPA-approved field method for PCB detection; the resulting laboratory analysis is costly and slows down dismantling. We propose to develop a portable PCB analyzer based upon resonance Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy allows rapid and unique identification of the desired analyte; resonance enhancement allows low ppm detection. By overlapping the laser with a PCB absorption band, PCB can be selectively enhanced over any complex matrix. Using a compact portable UV echelle spectrograph, fiber optic coupling and a compact UV laser, we will develop a portable unit capable of rapid (<120 s) quantitative PCB identification. We will determine detection limits, reproducibility, calibration accuracy, and absence of potential matrix effects. The system will be turnkey, automated and used in military and commercial applications needed to meet EPA PCB regulations.