Performance Abstract on the EST-4200 Ultimate Vapor Tracer Page 4

Odors of Hazardous Chemicals

It is not uncommon for hazardous chemicals to be present in cargo.  Properly sealed many flammable organics may not be detected however even a small leak can create a dangerous and even explosive vapor.   As an example, vapors from gasoline and JP-8 aviation fuel are shown in Figure 13.   Both are complex substances containing many volatile organics and are not easily separated by a single chemical sensor.

 

However, gasoline and JP-8 do produce distinctly different olfactory images.  Gasoline has more volatile compounds while JP-8 has more less volatile compounds.  Creating virtual chemical sensors unique to both provides a convenient way of recognizing the difference and presence of either.  This would be important when performing odor profiling in and around an airport facility where JP-8 is a common background odor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                 Figure 13- The chemical profiles of Gasoline and JP-8 produce easily recognizable

                                   olfactory images and can be separated using arrays of virtual chemical sensors.

 

Odors of Biological Life

 

Virtually all living organisms produce volatile organics which can be detected.  In recent times human cargo has been smuggled inside cargo containers.  The presence of human cargo might be linked to the odor of human waste which contains a high percentage of e. Coli bacteria.  E. Coli produces a very recognizable olfactory image which is dominated by the chemical indole as shown in Figure 14.

 

The presence of molds and fungus within cargo containers can contaminate and even damage sensitive cargo.  These life forms produce distinctive olfactory images and unique chemicals called microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) as shown in Figure 15.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

        Figure 14- The chemical odor profile of e. Coli is         Figure 15- Olfactory images of common microbial life forms.

            dominated by a high concentration of indole.

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