Award Data

A compact and affordable, microchip-based system for the automated, in situ analysis of inorganic ions in atmospheric aerosols will be develop and verified against traditional, filter-based methods. Our approach combines tow new technologies: (1) a growth tube impactor for particle collection and (2) lab-on-a-chip (LOC) analysis of sulfates and nitrates. The growth tube impactor enlarges indivi ...

Concern for the potential health effects of inhaled particulates led to a federal standard governing coarse particles, or PM10, for particles below 10 ¿m and subsequently to a fine particle (PM2.5) standard in 1997, for particles below 2.5 ¿m. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) retained the PM10 standard because all particles below 10 ¿m can penetrate into the pulmonary region. Be ...

The Bush Administration recently proposed a 90 percent reduction of air pollution emissions from off-road diesel equipment. The Administration indicated that diesel emissions are responsible for large amounts of particulate and NOx emissions from off-road construction, farm, mining, and locomotive and marine engines. A primary approach used to reduce NOx emissions is exhaust gas recirculation (E ...

The goal of this Phase I research project is to establish the feasibility of a regenerable chemical sensor for in situ detection of halogenated hydrocarbons (HHCs) in water. The technology is expected to generate a device for rapid field tests related to spills and accidents. HHCs, such as trichloroethylene (TCE), have been widely used for degreasing operations and as dry cleaning agents. They ...

The leading treatments for perchlorate removal are ion exchange with catalytic destruction and bioreactors. These treatments require significant labor and material inputs. The associated operating costs prohibit scaling to small systems (fewer than 25 people or 15 service connections). Even in large systems, the leading treatments are expensive, costing $100-$200/acre-ft, or 20-40 percent of wh ...

Nanomix, Inc., proposes to develop and commercialize nanoelectronic chemical sensors for the detection and measurement of air pollution. The end product of the work, a tiny, low-cost nanosensor chip, will measure concentrations of three different analytes down to the single molecule level. The proposed work is an extension of the gas sensing technology developed at Nanomix, Inc., using carbon na ...

The goals of this Phase I research project are to investigate the feasibility of using an artificial neural network (ANN) and an optimization-based water distribution security system (¿smart security¿) for accurately detecting contamination events, and given the nature of the threat, identify optimal crisis management decisions that minimize the threat and maintain a safe water supply. Given th ...

The feasibility of the universal placement of telecommunications and power supply lines below ground, as an alternative to their typically low-cost installation on utility poles, depends upon the availability of a cost-effective convenient method for placing and replacing cables belowground. A network of underground conduits constructed of field-assembled rigid sections, including straight segmen ...

The goal of this Phase I research project is to study a new class of environmentally safe wood preservatives based on cation-anion complexes with antimicrobial activities. The proposed cations include: (1) biguanide/polybiguanide derivatives, (2) polyionenes (polyquats), and (3) quaternary ammonium salts. The associated anions needed to form the complex will be selected from triclosan, tribromo ...

Nanomix, Inc., proposes to develop and commercialize nanoelectronic chemical sensors for the detection and measurement of air pollution. The end product of the work, a tiny, low-cost nanosensor chip, will measure concentrations of three different analytes down to the single molecule level. The proposed work is an extension of the gas sensing technology developed at Nanomix, Inc., us ...