ADVANCED, DIRECT AIR SAMPLING GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY MODULE FOR ION MOBILITY SPECTROMETRY

EXPLORATORY DEVELOPMENT OF AN ADVANCED, DIRECT AIR SAMPLING GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY (GC) MODULE IS PROPOSED. THE GC RIODULE CAN BE READILY COMBINED WITH EXISTING ION MOBILITY SPECTROMETRY (INS) EQUIPMENT FOR DETECTING AND MONITORING CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS, E.G., THE CAM (CHEMICAL AGENT MONITOR) CURRENTLY ADOPTED BY SEVERAL NATO MEMBER STATES. THE GC MODULE INCORPORATES A NOVEL, AMBIENT AIR SAMPLING DEVICE COUPLED TO A SHORT CAPILLARY GC COLUMN. THE FEASIBILITY OF ACHIEVING A QUANTUM JUMP IN CAM PERFORMANCE WITH REGARD TO: (1) INTERFERANT REJECTION; (2) QUANTITATIVE RESPONSE; (3) DETECTABILITY OF LOW VOLATILE COMPOUNDS (E.G., INTACT VS AND TRICHOTHECENE MYCOTOXINS); AND (4) SENSITIVITY TO LONG TERM EXPOSURE THRESHOLD LEVELS WILL BE INVESTIGATED IN PHASE I. PHYSICOCHEMICAL PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE AIR SAMPLING DEVICE AS WELL AS OF THE CAPILLARY GC COLUMN ARE SUFFICIENTLY WELL UNDERSTOOD TO PERMIT EXTENSIVE USE OF COMPUTER MODELING AND SIMULATION TECHNIQUES IN ADDITION TO SELECTED LABORATORY TESTING, THEREBY GREATLY REDUCING DURATION AND COST OF THE PROPOSED EXPLORATORY DEVELOPMENT EFFORT.