HYDROCARBONS

CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A CLASS OF COMPOUNDS WHICH POSE A POTENT HEALTH HAZARD TO THE GENERAL POPULATION. MOLECULES SUCH AS TETRA-CHLORINATED DIBENZO DIOXINS AND FURANS, POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBS), AND VARIOUS INSECTICIDES AND HERBICIDES SUCH AS SILVEX AND AGENT ORANGE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS BEING POTENTIALLY CARCINOGENIC, TERATOGENIC, MUTAGAENIC, AND TOXICTO HUMAN BEINGS. WHILE MOST ATTENTION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THEIR PRESENCE IN WATER SUPPLIES, TOXIC WASTE DUMPS, AND SOIL, CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS CONSTANTLY ENTER THE ECOSYSTEM IN AIRBORNE FORM THROUGH INCINERATION OF TOXICWASTES, PRODUCTION AND USE OF AGRICULTURAL AIDS, AND ANY GENERAL COMBUSTION PROCESS WHERE CHLORINE IS PRESENT. WE PROPOSE DEVELOPMENT OF A DETECTION SCHEME FOR CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS WITH A SENSITIVITY IN THE PART PER BILLION RANGE WITH GREAT SPECIFICITY WITH RESPECT TO EXPECTED INTERFERENCES. THE APPARATUS WOULD CONSIST OF AN EXCIMER LASER, CHLORINE RESONANCE LAMP, PHOTOMULTIPLIER TUBELOW PRESSURE GAS CELL, AND ASSOCIATED ELECTRONICS. SUCH A SYSTEM COULD DIRECTLY SAMPLE A COMBUSTION EXHAUST STREAM OR OTHER SOURCE AND PROVIDE REAL-TIME MONITORING OF POLLUTANT CONCENTRATIONS. THIS DEVICE WOULD PROVIDE A SIMPLER AND MUCH FASTER MONITORING SCHEME THAN THE PRESENT EPA APPROVED SAMPLING TRAIN.