(563a) Detection of Contrabands and Drug of Abuse Using an Ultrafast Saw/Gc Vapor Analyzer

To date, the most reliable method for searching for contraband goods in containers involves manual unloading of the cargo and careful screening of each item by manual inspection. Because of limited resources, relatively few containers can be examined in this manner. For example, the U.S. now inspects 4 percent of the 6 million shipments that arrive at more than 100 ports, twice the 2 percent before the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. Only about 20 percent of that cargo passes through overseas ports such as Hong Kong, where U.S. inspectors are being stationed. Although the situation poses a clear and present danger, efforts to contain the problem have proven to be daunting not only for the U.S. but also for countries worldwide. Current sensor capabilities to detect the presence of substances such as cocaine are fairly limited; in many cases, the best ?technology? continues to be trained dogs. Manufactured sensors are often designed for use in specific environments and are capable of identifying only one or two chemicals. Yet because there is a spectrum of possible threats, sensor systems are needed that can detect a large number of possible chemicals. There is a need for a field able instrument that can rapidly pre-screen containers and allow customs officers to distinguish between innocent and suspicious cargo. In addition, any detection system developed must be portable to measure systems and humans without compromising on the quality of measurements. In this paper, the development of a solid state integrating acoustic detector with direct column heating electronic nose, called the zNose? is described. The results of this work demonstrates for the first time that an electronic nose can be used in the field to quantitatively characterize and measure cocaine vapors as well as its volatile by-products, methyl benzoate and ecgonidine methyl ester. Specific details such as repeatability, accuracy and precision are verified using laboratory simulated experiments. In addition, the application of this device to explosive and nerve gas detection is explored.