Field-portable, automated pyrolysis-GC/IMS system for rapid biomarker detection in aerosols: A feasibility study
✍ Scribed by Jacek P. Dworzanski; William H. McClennen; Paul A. Cole; Sidney N. Thornton; Henk L. C. Meuzelaar; Neil S. Arnold; A. Peter Snyder
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1997
- Weight
- 317 KB
- Volume
- 1
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1086-900X
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✦ Synopsis
A prototype automated pyrolysis-gas chromatography/ion mobility spectrometry (Py-GC/IMS) instrument was developed for (bio)aerosol characterization. The system combines a commercially available, handheld GC/IMS device with a specially built platinum wire grid heater, a 1-in.-diam. quartz microfiber filter and a 60l/min air pump. The prototype Py-GC/IMS system can be operated in stand-alone mode or in series with a particle concentrator. Fully automated collection/desorption/pyrolysis of aerosols and other particulate matter can be performed at repetition rates of up to by means of ؊1 60 h a special remote control and display software package. The feasibility of detecting submicrogram quantities of Bacillus endospores with the use of picolinic acid and pyridine as biochemical marker compounds for the characteristic dipicolinic acid moiety in spore cell walls was demonstrated by laboratory experiments as well as preliminary field tests. Other particulate matter that could be collected and analyzed includes allergens such as pollen or home dust, as well as a broad range of bioaerosols and reaerosolized organics like explosives or drugs. In addition to its potential use as a screening device for the presence of specific classes of aerosol components, the Py-GC/IMS system has been demonstrated to retain its capability to detect and identify a broad range of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds.