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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Volatile organic compound detection device

A volatile organic compound detection device includes a collector comprising: a collector material configured to collect volatile organic compounds given off from a patient's skin; a heater comprising a heating element, the heating element configured to emit a thermal pulse to desorb the volatile organic compounds from the collector material; and a flow channel configured to receive the volatile organic compounds desorbed by the heater; and a fastener configured to secure the collector to the patient's skin.

Arnold, Gary Stephen↗
DOE OSTI2022

Volatile organic compound detection device

A volatile organic compound collector can include a collector material configured to collect volatile organic compounds given off from a patient's skin; a wrapping configured to isolate the collector material from an external environment; a heater comprising a heating element, the heating element configured to emit a thermal pulse to desorb the volatile organic compounds from the collector material; and a mesh layer configured to prevent the collector material from contacting the patient's skin, wherein the collector material is received between the wrapping and the mesh layer.

Arnold, Gary Stephen↗
NASA NTRS1996

Volatile organic compounds detected in the atmosphere of NASA's Biomass Production Chamber

Atmospheres of enclosed environments in which 20 m2 stands of wheat, potato, and lettuce were grown were characterized and quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A large number (in excess of 90) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified in the chambers. Twenty eight VOC's were assumed to be of biogenic origin for these were not found in the chamber atmosphere when air samples were analyzed in the absence of plants. Some of the compounds found were unique to a single crop. For example, only 35% of the biogenic compounds detected in the wheat atmosphere were unique to wheat, while 36% were unique to potato and 26% were unique to lettuce. The number of compounds detected in the wheat (20 compounds) atmosphere was greater than that of potato (11) and lettuce (15) and concentration levels of biogenic and non-biogenic VOC's were similar.

NASA Discipline Number 61-20↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tri-molybdenum phosphide (Mo 3 P) and multi-walled carbon nanotube junctions for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection

Detection and analysis of volatile organic compounds' (VOCs) biomarkers lead to improvement in healthcare diagnosis and other applications such as chemical threat detection and food quality control. Here, we report on tri-molybdenum phosphide (Mo3P) and multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) junction-based vapor quantum resistive sensors (vQRSs), which exhibit more than one order of magnitude higher sensitivity and superior selectivity for biomarkers in comparison to pristine MWCNT junctions based vQRSs. Transmission electron microscope/scanning tunneling electron microscope with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies reveal the crystallinity and the presence of Mo and P elements in the network. The presence of Mo3P clearly enhanced the performance of vQRS as evidenced in sensitivity and selectivity studies. The vQRSs are stable over extended periods of time and are reproducible, making them a potential candidate for sensing related applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Species-Selective Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds by Ionic Liquid-Based Electrolyte Using Electrochemical Methods

The detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is an important topic for environmental safety and public health. However, the current commercial VOC detectors suffer from cross-sensitivity and low reproducibility. In this work, we present species-selective detection for VOCs using an electrochemical cell based on ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes with features of high selectivity and reliability. The voltammograms measured with the IL-based electrolyte absorbing different VOCs exhibited species-selective features that were extracted and classified by linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The detection system could identify as many as four types of VOCs, including methanol, ethanol, acetone, formaldehyde, and additional water. A mixture of methanol and formaldehyde was detected as well. The sample required for the VOCs classification system was 50 μL, or 1.164 mmol, on average. The response time for each VOC measurement is as fast as 24 s. The volume of VOCs such as formaldehyde in solution could also be quantified by LDA and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques, respectively. The system showed a tunable detection range for 1.6 and 16% (w/v) CH 2 O solution by adjusting the composition of the electrolyte. The limit of detection was as low as 1 μL. For the 1.6% CH 2 O solution, the linearity calibration range was determined to be from 5.30 to 53.00 μmol with a limit of detection at 0.53 μmol. The mechanisms for VOCs determination and quantification are also thoroughly discussed. Finally, it is expected that this work could provide a new insight into the concept of electrochemical detection of VOCs with machine learning analysis and be applied to both VOCs gas monitoring and fluid detection.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Enhanced detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by caffeine modified carbon nanotube junctions

Detection of vapor phase analytes and gas molecules is primarily essential for numerous applications including medical diagnostic, environmental monitoring, chemical threat detection, food quality control, and chemical warfare agents. Here, we developed Caffeine functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) random network based vapor quantum resistive sensors (vQRSs) for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection. The localized transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirm migration of caffeine to CNT–CNT junction (CNTj). We have recorded more than one order of magnitude higher sensitivity and unique selectivity towards selective VOCs (e.g., acetone, toluene, ethanol, methanol, etc.) with short response time (few seconds) for caffeine modified CNT junction (Caf-CNTj) vQRSs. Molecular dynamics (MD) calculations suggest that the sensitivity of the sensor is diffusion limited, with an advective contribution for ethanol. Furthermore, the designed Caf-CNTj sensors can potentially be important candidate to be a part of electronic nose used for various application such as breath analysis and food quality monitoring.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Arrays of Functionalized Graphene Chemiresistors for Selective Sensing of Volatile Organic Compounds

Real-time detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is being spotlighted for its importance in environmental monitoring and disease detection from the breath. However, the selective detection of VOCs in a small form factor gas sensor remains a challenge. Here, we present the VOC sensing performance of phthalocyanine (Pc)-functionalized graphene chemiresistors supported by the theoretical prediction of Pc's VOC interactions. Pc functionalization, with and without metalation, was studied parametrically with varying deposition parameters to explore impacts on the gas sensing response toward VOCs as a function of substrate coverage. Sensing data were collected to establish fingerprint signatures for a variety of VOCs. In conclusion, improvement in selectivity is shown by successfully differentiating the VOCs from each other when combined into a gas sensor array tested with acetone, ethanol, formaldehyde, and toluene.

2D materials↗
DOE OSTI2023

Health monitoring device

Example aspects of a volatile organic compound detection device, a wearable health monitoring device, and a method of monitoring a user's health are disclosed. The volatile organic compound detection device can comprise a collector comprising a collector material configured to collect volatile organic compounds given off from a user's skin; a separator comprising a gas chromatography column configured to separate mixtures of the volatile organic compounds into their constituent chemicals; and an identifier comprising a detector and a processor, the detector configured to transduce the constituent chemicals into a signal, the processor configured to process the signal to identify specific volatile organic compounds indicative of a health condition.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2022

KSC Headquarters Building Area SWMU 104 Soil Interim Measure Report for LOC 2D and LOC 2E Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This Interim Measure (IM) Report for Location of Concern (LOC) 2D and LOC 2E summarizes the activities associated with implementation of an IM to address soil and concrete contamination at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Headquarters Building Area (KHQA) located at KSC, Florida. KHQA has been designated Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 104 under KSC’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program. The IM consisted of excavating/removing residual polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in soil and concrete from two separate areas, LOC 2D and LOC 2E, which were associated with electrical transformer locations. IM activities were conducted in accordance with the Interim Measure Work Plan (IMWP), Revision 1, for KHQA dated June 2018, which was approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in a correspondence letter dated April 2016 and the United States Environmental Protection Agency in a correspondence letter dated August 2018. The objective of the IM was to remove all remaining contaminated media with total PCB concentrations greater than the State of Florida Residential Soil Cleanup Target Level (RSCTL) (0.5 milligrams per kilogram [mg/kg]). This cleanup goal meets unrestrictive re-use conditions in Florida, and is below federal regulations for PCB Bulk Remediation Waste Cleanup of 1 mg/kg for high occupancy, unrestricted use areas, as outlined in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 761.61(a). The timeline of the IM was coordinated with demolition of the former KSC Headquarters Building (demolished in 2021) in order to safely remove contaminated media after electrical equipment was de-energized and removed from the site. Excavation activities were conducted between January 10, 2022, and February 8, 2022, and included two waste streams for off-site disposal: (1) PCB-remediation waste greater than or equal to 50 mg/kg, and (2) PCB-remediation waste less than 50 mg/kg. A total of approximately 347 cubic yards (478 tons) of PCB-contaminated soil and concrete was initially removed from the LOC 2D and LOC 2E areas, as defined in the IMWP. An additional 4.35 tons of soil and concrete were removed based on verification sampling, which was conducted until the cleanup goal was achieved. The total area of excavation from both LOC 2D and LOC 2E was approximately 5,186 square feet (0.12 acres), and excavation depths ranged from 0.5 to 4.0 feet below land surface Excavated soils and concrete were stockpiled based on waste stream and subsequently transported and disposed of at Waste Connections of Osceola County, LLC – JED Landfill in St. Cloud, Florida (PCBs less than 50 mg/kg) or the Chemical Waste Management Landfill in Emelle, Alabama (PCBs greater than or equal to 50 mg/kg). Following excavation, clean backfill was brought to the site and provided to the Demolition Contractor to complete backfill and grading in conjunction with their final site restoration activities from building demolition. Post-IM groundwater sampling was conducted in May 2022 at three monitoring wells installed in April 2022 to confirm that PCBs did not leach into groundwater. These wells were installed where the highest PCB concentrations were detected at LOC 2D, LOC 2E, and from the Building Perimeter IM (previously completed in 2020). All PCB results in groundwater were non-detect. Volatile organic compounds were also analyzed based on potential past use of solvents in transformers with PCB-dielectric fluids and the potential release of dielectric fluids containing volatile organic compounds, and all results were non-detect. Based on completion of a successful IM at LOC 2D and LOC 2E, as well as previous remedial actions that have addressed other contamination at KHQA (SWMU 104), No Further Action without controls will be recommended for SWMU 104. NASA will submit separate Site Rehabilitation Completion Order request documentation for SWMU 104 to support an NFA without controls recommendation.

PCB↗
DOE OSTI2024

Plant Disease Detection Technology Assessment

Visual inspections by US Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists have identified approximately 20,000 regulated, quarantined pests each year in agricultural products entering the United States. Most of these pests identified in the Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection (AQI) program are insects. Many pathogens are difficult to detect in agricultural products, particularly in early stages of infection. New technologies can help to detect plant pathogens and the diseases that they cause. This technology assessment was performed for the US Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) through the Food, Agriculture, and Veterinary Defense (FAV-D) program to identify emerging technologies that could address this hard problem. These emerging technologies differ in their diagnostic sensitivities and specificities, as well as in their measurement time and training requirements. New instruments that detect volatile organic compounds characteristic of plant disease or pathogens could provide a less invasive inspection method. Dogs, which can successfully detect many concealed agricultural products, have also been trained to detect some plant pests and pathogens. Simple immunological tests offer sensitive and specific detection of many pathogens at the point of use. Advanced imaging methods that use AI to sort fruits and vegetables and recognize anomalies at high speeds could be used in cooperation with exporters to improve food quality and reduce pests. Advances in nucleic acid–based detection methods that have become gold standards for confirmatory diagnostics are now making those methods available for faster, point-of-use detection. These new methods should be developed in the context of AQI operational requirements, which apply risk-based sampling protocols to protect agriculture and facilitate commerce and passenger transit.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2014

The Search for Organic Compounds of Martian Origin in Gale Crater by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument on Curiosity

One of the key objectives of the Mars Science Laboratory rover and the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite is to determine the inventory of organic and inorganic volatiles in the atmosphere and surface regolith and rocks to help assess the habitability potential of Gale Crater. The SAM instrument on the Curiosity rover can detect volatile organic compounds thermally evolved from solid samples using a combination of evolved gas analysis (EGA) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) (Mahaffy et al. 2012). The first solid samples analyzed by SAM, a scoop of windblown dust and sand at Rocknest, revealed several chloromethanes and a C4-chlorinated hydrocarbon derived primarily from reactions between a martian oxychlorine phase (e.g. perchlorate) and terrestrial carbon from N-methyl-N-(tertbutyldimethylsilyl)- trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) vapor present in the SAM instrument background (Glavin et al. 2013). After the analyses at Rocknest, Curiosity traveled to Yellowknife Bay and drilled two separate holes in a fluvio-lacustrine sediment (the Sheepbed unit) designated John Klein and Cumberland. Analyses of the drilled materials by both SAM and the CheMin X-Ray Diffraction instrument revealed a mudstone consisting of ~20 wt% smectite clays (Ming et al. 2013; Vaniman et al. 2013), which on Earth are known to aid the concentration and preservation of organic matter. Oxychlorine compounds were also detected in the Sheepbed mudstone during pyrolysis; however, in contrast to Rocknest, much higher levels of chloromethanes were released from the Sheepbed materials, suggesting an additional, possibly martian source of organic carbon (Ming et al. 2013). In addition, elevated abundances of chlorobenzene and a more diverse suite of chlorinated alkanes including dichloropropane and dichlorobutane detected in Cumberland compared to Rocknest suggest that martian or meteoritic organic carbon sources may be preserved in the mudstone (Freissinet et al. 2013). Chloromethane and dichloromethane were also identified after thermal volatilization of the surface soils by the GCMS instruments at the Viking landing sites, although no other chlorinated hydrocarbons were reported (Biemann et al. 1977). Here we focus on the origin of the chlorinated hydrocarbons detected in the Sheepbed mudstone by SAM and the implications for the preservation of organic matter in near-surface materials on Mars.

Mars Curiosity Rover↗
DOE OSTI2026

Spectrometer-free quantitative vapor sensing and classification via spatiotemporal imaging of porous silicon metasurfaces

Metasurfaces offer a compact platform for optical vapor sensing, but their practical deployment has been limited by weak evanescent light–matter interactions and reliance on spectrally resolved instrumentation. Here, we report porous silicon (pSi) metasurfaces for spectrometer-free quantitative detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with strongly enhanced light–matter interaction. The engineered porosity increases sensitivity by >100× relative to non-porous dielectric metasurfaces, enabling limits of detection of 1.65 ppm for methanol and 9.1 ppm for ethanol across a broad dynamic range (<10 ppm to >103 ppm). Imaging-based readout provides a lightweight, spectrometer-free pathway for real-time quantitative sensing. Beyond quantitative detection, the mesoporous architecture introduces adsorption–desorption kinetics as an additional information channel. Analysis of the resulting spatiotemporal signatures enables kinetic fingerprinting without reliance on infrared spectral features or surface functionalization, and a lightweight machine-learning classifier differentiates acetone, methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol with 91.6% accuracy. These results establish porous metasurfaces as spatiotemporal sensing elements that couple quantitative vapor detection with kinetic fingerprinting through real-time dynamical responses, enabling low-cost, high-performance optical sensors.

Dash, Tomoshree [Clemson University]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Volatiles from the necrophagous fly Cochliomyia macellaria (Diptera: Calliphoridae) as indicators of Salmonella exposure

Blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are crucial in forensic investigations due to their association with both living and dead humans and other animals. Additionally, their interactions with various resources and potential as vectors of pathogens of humans and other animals, thus, make them potential tools for biosurveillance. This study investigated the potential of monitoring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by blow flies exposed to Salmonella as a method for pathogen surveillance. Adult blow flies ( Cochliomyia macellaria ) were exposed, or not, to Salmonella enterica . Following exposure, VOCs released by the blow flies were collected and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results indicate a treatment by time interaction (P < 0.01). Indicator species analysis identified a single compound significantly associated with S. enterica exposure (P = 0.02), Nonane, 2,2,4,4,6,8,8-heptamethyl, potentially indicating an immune system response. Given a compound indicating exposure was detected, future research should determine if more replicates could detect more differences after Salmonella ingestion. This research highlights the potential of blow flies as biosurveillance tools and the potential value of volatiles for assessing their exposure to pathogens.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

TBS FROST Data from 2023 at SGP C1

The FROST provides chemical analysis of four time-resolved sorbent samples on a LECO GCxGC Bench Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer, using a Gerstel MPS Thermal Desorption System. Samples collected via FROST can be analyzed on one of two Sandia National Laboratories' instruments. One instrument will provide ultra-high mass spectrometer resolution (up to four decimal points or m/z data) and can be used for identification of true unknowns. Data can include suspected formulas of species not included in any current mass spectra database. This instrument also has a low limit of detection of known species (tens of femtogram range). The second instrument can provide an order of magnitude lower limits of detection (into the single-digit femtogram range) for known species currently in mass spectra databases. This system is also more resilient to environmental samples that contain higher levels of moisture.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2017

Influence of Oxychlorine Phases During the Pyrolysis of Organic Molecules: Implications for the Quest of Organics on Mars with the SAM Experiment Onboard the Curiosity Rover

One among the main objectives of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) experiment is the in situ molecular analysis of gases evolving from solid samples heated up to approximately 850 degrees Centigrade, and collected by Curiosity on Mars surface/sub-surface in Gale crater. With this aim, SAM uses a gas-chromatograph coupled to a quadrupole mass spectrometer (GC-QMS) devoted to separate, detect and identify both volatile inorganic and organic compounds. SAM detected chlorinated organic molecules produced in evolved gas analysis (EGA) experiments. Several of these were also detected by the Viking experiments in 1976. SAM also detected oxychlorine compounds that were present at the Phoenix landing site. The oxychlorines may be prevelant over much of the martian surface. The C1 to C3 aliphatic chlorohydrocarbons (chloromethane and di- and trichloromethane) detected by SAM were attributed to reaction products occurring between the oxychlorines phases and the organic compounds coming from SAM instrument background. But SAM also showed the presence of a large excess of chlorobenzene and C2 to C4 dichloroalkanes among the volatile species released by the Cumberland sample of the Sheepbed mudstone. For the first time in the history of the Mars exploration, this proved the presence of Mars indigenous organic material at the Mars' surface. However, the identification of the precursor organic compounds of these chlorohydrocarbons is difficult due to the complexity of the reactions occurring during the sample pyrolysis. Laboratory pyrolysis experiments have demonstrated that oxychlorines phases such as perchlorates and chlorates, decomposed into dioxygen and volatile chlorine bearing molecules (HCl and/or Cl2) during the pyrolysis. These chemical species can then react with the organic molecules present in the martian solid samples through oxidation, chlorination and oxychlorination processes.

Millan, M.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Bacterial volatile organic compound specialists in the phycosphere

Abstract Labile dissolved organic carbon in the surface oceans accounts for about one-fourth of carbon produced through photosynthesis and turns over on average every 3 days, fueling one of the largest engines of microbial heterotrophic production on the planet. Volatile organic compounds are poorly constrained components of dissolved organic carbon. Here, we detected 72 m/z signals, corresponding to unique volatile organic compounds, including petroleum hydrocarbons, totaling ~18.5 nM in the culture medium of a model diatom. In five cocultures with bacteria adapted to grow with this diatom, 1–59 m/z signals were depleted. Two of the most active volatile organic compound consumers, Marinobacter and Roseibium, contained more genes encoding volatile organic compound oxidation proteins, and attached to the diatom, suggesting volatile organic compound specialism. With nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry and stable isotope labeling, we confirmed that Marinobacter incorporated carbon from benzene, one of the depleted m/z signals detected in the co-culture. Diatom gross carbon production increased by up to 29% in the presence of volatile organic compound consumers, indicating that volatile organic compound consumption by heterotrophic bacteria in the phycosphere—a region of rapid organic carbon oxidation that surrounds phytoplankton cells—could impact global rates of gross primary production.

Environmental Sciences & Ecology↗
NASA NTRS2014

Native Fluorescence Detection Methods and Detectors for Naphthalene and/or Other Volatile Organic Compound Vapors

Naphthalene, benzene, toluene, xylene, and other volatile organic compounds have been identified as serious health hazards. This is especially true for personnel working with JP8 jet fuel and other fuels containing naphthalene as well as other hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Embodiments of the invention are directed to methods and apparatus for near-real-time in-situ detection and accumulated dose measurement of exposure to naphthalene vapor and other hazardous gaseous VOCs. The methods and apparatus employ excitation of fluorophors native or endogenous to compounds of interest using light sources emitting in the ultraviolet below 300 nm and measurement of native fluorescence emissions in distinct wavebands above the excitation wavelength. The apparatus of some embodiments are cell-phone-sized sensor/dosimeter "badges" to be worn by personnel potentially exposed to naphthalene or other hazardous VOCs. The badge sensor of some embodiments provides both real time detection and data logging of exposure to naphthalene or other VOCs of interest from which both instantaneous and accumulated dose can be determined. The badges employ a new native fluorescence based detection method to identify and differentiate VOCs. The particular focus of some embodiments are the detection and identification of naphthalene while other embodiments are directed to detection and identification of other VOCs like aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, and xylene.

Hug, William F.↗