Research Highlights

Technology Performance Summary: Nextteq Civil Defense Kit for Toxic Industrial Chemicals

All Hazards Receipt Facilities (AHRFs) were developed to prescreen for chemical, radiochemical, and explosive hazards in samples collected during suspected terrorist attacks. The technologies used in AHRFs are intended to screen samples prior to a full analysis, helping protect responders, laboratory workers, and others from potential injury.

Evaluations of these technologies are summarized in the technology evaluation report, Testing of Screening Technologies for Detection of Toxic Industrial Chemicals in All Hazards Receipt Facilities. The toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) included in the report were chosen because they might be used during, or develop as a by-product from, a terrorist attack.
The screening technologies are intended:

• To be rapid and qualitative
• To be simple to use and of relatively low cost
• To indicate if samples contain hazardous chemicals of concern.

Not all of the technologies evaluated were deemed suitable for the AHRF, although they might be useful for responders on the scene.

Technology Evaluated: Nextteq Civil Defense Kit

Sample Types Evaluated for Indication of: Hydrogen cyanide, cyanogen chloride, and phosgene in vapor

Conclusions and/or Recommendations:
The Nextteq Civil Defense Kit:

• Reliably detected hydrogen cyanide, cyanogen chloride, and phosgene vapors
  (i.e., 100% accuracy).
• Typically responded within minutes; however, the time for a noticeable color change, which indicates the presences of a TIC, depended on the TIC concentration. Some color changes were difficult to distinguish.
• It took several minutes to obtain the required sample volume with instrument’s electric
  pump. Note that electric pump was easily disrupted, causing the pump to stop.
• Uses a relatively simple procedure.

Technology Description and Requirements: This technology uses an electric pump (or optional hand pump) to draw air through five different color-indicating tubes simultaneously, each color tube providing an indication of one vapor phase TIC. All five tubes must be in place in the five-port sampling holder. The electric pump is preset to draw the required 3.5 L of air through the tubes within a sampling period of 3.5 minutes. http://www.nextteq.com/products.aspx?category=3&subcat=16

Testing Methodology and Results: Testing was conducted on one TIC at a time. The tested
gases were generated by diluting a commercially obtained compressed gas standard. To evaluate the detector, a flow of clean air passed through a clean air plenum, and an equal flow of air containing the tested gas passed through another plenum: the challenge plenum. The instrument was connected to a 4-way valve, through which clean air or the tested gas flowed before being vented into a chemical laboratory hood. The technology was first exposed to the clean air flow. After this, the 4-way valve was switched to the challenge plenum to deliver the TIC gas. The sequence of exposure to clean air, followed by exposure to the TIC gas, was carried out three times in succession. This sequence was followed for each TIC and condition identified in Table 1. For this evaluation, a hydrocarbon mixture interferent was added to the blank, or TIC gas, at a ratio of 1:100 interferent mix to air flow.

Contact: Eric Koglin

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