Portable SERS Detector for Simultaneous Detection of Trace-level Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on Superfund Sites

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant Many of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs have been identified as the highly toxic pollutants The PAHsandapos contamination has made surrounding people and animals suffer from the exposure by air water and soil Remediation of the Superfund sites requires on site discrimination detection and monitoring of PAHs Detection of trace levels of PAHs are usually performed by legacy laboratory analytical techniques including GC MS or GC FID and HPLC with fluorescence or UV Vis detection which are bulky expensive time consuming or often requiring complex separation and preconcentration steps Based on our successful commercialization of portable Raman instruments and our experience in ultrasensitive chemical detection based on surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy SERS Agiltron proposes to develop a robust portable microfluidic SERS detector and the methodology for field analysis of PAHs in liquid media at Superfund sites In Phase I we will fabricate and optimizes PAHs SERS sensor chips by chemically modifying our proprietary high performance AgNF SERS chips with various partition layers SERS spectra of all the EPA priority PAHs in water and methanol will be measured to build a library of characteristic SERS bands distinguishable among them individual and simultaneous detection of selected PAHs with a detection limit performance goal of g L ppb will be demonstrated and an optimized SERS chip will be integrated into a flow cell and tested on our PinPointer tm Raman spectrometer In Phase II we will refine and optimize this detection technology and extend it to study the effects of various factors and elimination of interference Microfluidic SERS cartridges will be fabricated
and a field portable Raman prototype will be built for field tests at Superfund sites The proposed SERS detector provides a unique solution to distinguish and quantify trace levels of PAHs under ambient conditions with no need for extra preconcentration and separation It is ultrasensitive extremely simple and highly reliable and allows relatively unskilled personnel to
accomplish on site PAHs testing affording a cost effective monitoring tool for assessment remediation and management of Superfund sites and other contaminated sources The broad markets for this proposed device include but are not limited to US EPA contractors testing and research laboratories state and municipal water authorities and environmental remediation companies

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE The proposed portable SERS device for the onsite detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs will promote the remediation process of the contamination sites which reduces the public exposure to PAHs one class of the most toxic pollutants associated with cancer and other diseases