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Micro-fluidic spectrometer for measuring groundwater contamination

Award Information
Agency: Department of Energy
Branch: N/A
Contract: DE-FG02-12ER90299
Agency Tracking Number: 98751
Amount: $1,000,000.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: 08a
Solicitation Number: DE-FOA-0000782
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2013
Award Year: 2013
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2013-04-09
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
1570 Pacheco St. Suite E-11
Santa Fe, NM 87505-3993
United States
DUNS: 153579891
HUBZone Owned: Yes
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 David Hovde
 Dr.
 (505) 984-1322
 dchovde@swsciences.com
Business Contact
 Alan Stanton
Title: Dr.
Phone: (505) 984-1322
Email: astanton@swsciences.com
Research Institution
 Stub
Abstract

Past industrial practices have resulted in groundwater that is contaminated by heavy metals. Long-term monitoring and maintenance is one of the largest costs of environmental management. This project is developing a compact analyzer for measuring chromium ions in ground water that should significantly reduce the cost of monitoring the presence of this metal. The Phase I project investigated a novel detection strategy that allows sensitive measurement using a micro-cavity. The sensitivity demonstrated in Phase I was comparable to the levels found in drinking water, fully demonstrating the analytical precision of this approach. The Phase II research will address ways to minimize interference from other chemical species, build the optical, electronic, and sample-handling subsystems, assemble a hand-held analyzer, and characterize it in the laboratory and in the field. Measurements at the well head will be compared to results from the existing approach, which is to send sample bottles to a lab for analysis. Ultimately an automated version of the system will be placed in the well itself, so that the labor cost of going to the well also is eliminated. Measurements at the well head should eliminate the ongoing cost of mailing and analyzing samples, and should improve decision making and measurement quality by eliminating the four to five day wait between sampling and measurement results. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: A compact sensor for chromium pollution would have applications in waste water treatment, groundwater monitoring, and in public water works. The sensing concept could be extended to measure other compounds.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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