Autonomous Monitor for Toxic Gas Exposure

Project Summary The overall goal of this SBIR project is to develop a miniature, microfabricated gas chromatography (micro GC) device for autonomous, near real-time monitoring of toxic VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in the workplace. A key differentiator is exploring a low-cost multilayer fabrication process to develop a new-type micro GC. Through the Phase I project, a working prototype of the proposed micro GC has been created and has demonstrated rapid and sensitive measurement of representative toxic VOCs in air. This Phase II study will further optimize the designs and fabrication of key micro GC components developed in Phase I and create a commercial prototype. Micro GC method development and validation for additional toxic VOCs, as well as pilot testing, will also be pursued in Phase II. The final product will be a plug- and-play toxic VOC monitor with online sampling and onboard calibration capabilities. Toxic or even carcinogenic VOCs can be emitted into the workplace and environment from many industrial and chemical processes, posing a serious health hazard to workers as well as the general public. Therefore, there is a critical need for sensitive and accurate monitoring of VOC exposure in real time or near real time. Unfortunately, existing approaches are associated with major limitations due to the lack of specificity (e.g., colorimetric detection tubes and photoionization sensors), or because of the requirement of a bulky/expensive instrument or offline sampling (e.g., traditional GC methods). The proposed micro GC aims to overcome these drawbacks and address the critical needed for autonomous, continuous, and specific monitoring of VOC exposure.