NRL Prototype Sensor Detects
Low Levels
of Explosives Quickly -- and at Low Cost
Scientists at the Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering
at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, DC, have
developed an antibody-based sensor which can detect explosives
at very low levels. This technology has applications in many
areas, including the detection of illicit bombs and the monitoring
of explosives in contaminated areas of the environment.
Because of pollution brought
about by past explosives manufacturing and munitions storage
practices, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has
approved a laboratory method for testing water and soil samples
for explosives. However, the standard test must be performed
in analytical labs, which necessarily leads to delays of up to
four weeks between sample acquisition and analysis. When polluted
sites are initially identified, hundreds of samples must be analyzed
to determine the extent of contamination, leading to millions
of dollars being spent just to know where the explosives are.
NRL is one of many groups trying
to develop a simpler, cheaper, faster device that can work at
the polluted site to give results comparable to the standard
assay. During the summer of 1995, the EPA held two tests of new
devices, both commercially available ones and those still being
tested as prototypes, in order to measure the effectiveness of
such "on-site analysis" technology. These tests were
held at Umatilla Army Depot Activity in Hermiston, Oregon, and
Naval Submarine Base Bangor in Bangor, Washington, both of which
are currently undergoing remediation for soil and groundwater
pollution by explosives.
Although the NRL sensor is still
a prototype, data collected during the field tests agreed well
with results obtained using the EPA-approved laboratory method.
However, the NRL device was able to generate these data on-site,
within 1-2 minutes per sample, and at significantly lower cost
than the currently used test. Thus, the feasibility of the sensor
as an on-site analytical tool was demonstrated.
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is the Navy's full-spectrum corporate laboratory, conducting a broadly based multidisciplinary program of scientific research and advanced technological development. The Laboratory, with a total complement of nearly 2,500 personnel, is located in southwest Washington, D.C., with other major sites at the Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Monterey, Calif. NRL has served the Navy and the nation for over 85 years and continues to meet the complex technological challenges of today's world. For more information, visit the NRL homepage or join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
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