Award

Military personnel are exposed to a broad range of toxic compounds. The military’s mission means that hazards cannot always be predicted since service often occurs in a wide array of uncontrolled environments. The usual first line of defense, area monitoring, is not applicable due to the variable workplace facing the military. Thus, personal dosimeters are required that measure a person's exposure to chemicals by testing the air that the person breathes regardless of location. Since many of potential threats are unpredictable and possibly have never before been identified, it is necessary that a personal dosimeter can gather, store, and stabilize vapors from broad array of chemical compounds with widely varying chemical properties. Finally, the logistics of obtaining supplies and power, and the requirement for ruggedness impose a definite requirement for a light passive dosimeter that can be attached to a uniform. To meet these requirements, a “universal passive dosimeter” based on a mesoporous material containing a variety of different surface coatings will be constructed and tested. These materials will selectively trap toxins and only release them with the application of heat. Such universal passive dosimeters will safeguard the health of military personnel and detecting emerging problems before they become critical.