Portable Analyzer for Ultra sensitive Detection and Quantification of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Shellfish

The proposed device is a compact, portable and robust battery-powered analytical instrument for analysis of complex multicomponent mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in shellfish. The device is based on principles of analytical gas chromatography (GC) and utilizes a novel highly-integrated multisensory detector. Implementation of a multisensory detector allows the device to collect multiple chromatograms in a single run. The sensors in the integrated MEMS platform are near-orthogonal and possess very distinct catalytic properties. The time separation by chromatographic column is complemented by catalytic separation by a multisensory detector. The outcome of our GC/MEMS hybrid technology is the ability to monitor a very broad range of analytes from light to heavy on a relatively short and compact GC column in a short period of time of 12.5 min for a broad range of concentrations from sub-ppb to hundreds of ppm. Our SBIR Phase I focuses on the design and fabrication of a compact instrument for automatic detection and quantification of PAHs in ppb to ppm concentration range. Major objectives include increase of number of detectible chemicals without increase of device physical dimensions and weight, and redesigning electronic hardware and firmware for automatic measurements and concentration reporting.