Effects of Membrane Properties on the Odor Emanating from Training Aids for Explosive-Detective Canines


Many previous studies have shown that canines rely on the odor of volatile organic compounds that are emitted by explosive formulations. It is then especially important that canines be trained on authentic odors that are neither degraded nor contaminated.

Research by Himanshi Upadhyaya and John V. Goodpaster of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University Indianapolis has focused on using an odor-permeable membrane device (OPMD) to determine any changes in the odor of dynamite and have utilized gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in negative chemicalionization mode in all analysis. Upadhyaya and Goodpaster responded to questions from LCGC International regarding their research.

Read more…
Source: LCGC International 


Sign up for our Newsletter


Related:

  • How We’ll Stop Chemical Attacks

    April 28, 2019

    DARPA has been testing equipment that can detect chemical ingredients in weapons and explosives—before they’re used against us. And it’s almost ready to go. The scene isn’t all that hard to imagine. It’s Memorial Day. The Indianapolis 500, the world’s largest sporting event, is underway. At least four-hundred thousand fans are standing, stomping and screaming. Far ...

  • £2.5m injection for drone swarms

    April 3, 2019

    The ‘Many Drones Make Light Work’ project is the largest single contract awarded by DASA to date. The funding will steer the project for around 20 unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into the final stage of development, which will ultimately be managed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). UAS are currently in widespread use around ...

  • DHS S&T Seeks Partners for First Responder Technology R&D

    April 2, 2019

    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) invites industry, academia, laboratories, and the innovation community to submit white papers related to 12 first responder technology funding opportunities. The new Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) solicitation (BAA 18-02 Call 0001) will remain open until May 1st, 2019. “We want to help first responders of all disciplines do their ...

  • Hero dogs receive bravery awards: Canine OBEs for dogs who helped at scenes of terror attacks

    April 2, 2019

    A police mutt probably wouldn’t know what to do with a medal, unless you covered it in gravy or made it look like a tasty chihuahua. He or she is much more likely to appreciate an extra few biscuits for dinner – and would probably love you forever. That is probably what seven dogs from the Met ...

  • Pulwama aftermath: CRPF to enhance counter-IED capabilities, procure new fleet of MPVs troops in Kashmir Valley

    March 26, 2019

    The CRPF will procure a new fleet of mine protected vehicles (MPVs) and small 30-seater buses to ensure safety of its troop’s convoys in the Kashmir Valley, the chief of the force has said. The paramilitary has also decided to enhance the number of its bomb detection and disposal squads (BDDS) for its 65 battalions based ...

  • Defense Department awards $1.4M to VCU professor to study process leading to explosions

    March 21, 2019

    The Department of Defense has awarded two grants totaling nearly $1.4 million to a Virginia Commonwealth University chemistry professor to study the initial steps of decomposition in “energetic molecules” that leads to explosions. Katharine Moore Tibbetts, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry in the College of Humanities and Sciences, received a five-year, $1 million Army Research ...

  • Las Vegas airport to test machines to detect explosives

    March 11, 2019

    As Las Vegas’ airport continues to see record-breaking passenger traffic, keeping those travelers safe is a top priority. McCarran International Airport is set to test four explosive detection machines at the Terminal 3 security checkpoint, county Director of Aviation Rosemary Vassiliadis said last month during her presentation to the Assembly Committee on Infrastructure and Growth. The project, ...

  • DHS S&T Funds Solution to Increase Efficiency of Air Cargo Screening

    March 5, 2019

    Air Cargo skids and pallets take up a large amount of space on every commercial passenger flight.  Federal law requires this cargo be screened at the same level as checked baggage.  Single and dual energy X-ray systems can be scaled up to screen air cargo skids, but they produce two-dimensional views of air cargo that ...

  • Brussels Airport failed to spot bomb belt security test

    February 28, 2019

    “On 1 October last year, I was asked to try to pass the security checkpoint with a fake bomb belt”, said the mystery passenger, HLN reports. “The belt looked very credible, with wires, a detonator and a substance that had the same density as real explosives,” added the passenger. When being searched, the passenger pretended to be a ...

  • IATA Warns Of Aviation Security Risks, Calls For Better Collaboration With Governments

    February 27, 2019

    At the IATA Aviation Security Conference (AVSEC World) in Miami, FL, IATA Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac called on governments to work with the aviation industry to ensure greater coordination in aviation security initiatives and warned against a lack of communication on critical security matters, as was the case during the 2017 ban on ...

  • Paper strip that detects explosives could shake up airport security, Edmonton researcher says

    February 22, 2019

    Christina Gonzalez can detect explosives with a single strip of paper. Gonzalez, an Edmonton-based researcher, has developed a disposable test strip capable of instantly detecting explosive materials including traces of TNT, the compound used in dynamite. While the paper strip may look like plain card stock there is more than meets the eye. “Essentially, we have a stock ...

  • Radar to spot the bad guys from on high

    February 15, 2019

    China’s space engineers said they can now offer a new method to detect terrorists transporting explosives as well as track moving targets more efficiently than current modalities. Researchers at the Beijing Institute of Radio Measurement, affiliated with the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, said they have developed the country’s first terahertz radiation-enabled synthetic-aperture radar and ...

  • The European Commission has adopted new measures to improve aviation security in the European Union

    January 28, 2019

    On 23 January 2019, the European Commission adopted an Implementing Regulation amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1998 as regards clarification, harmonisation and simplification as well as strengthening of certain specific aviation security measures. The amendments concern measures in the areas of airport security, the revision of the rules on background check in order to enhance security culture and resilience, ...

  • Britain to provide Libya with explosive detection equipment

    January 23, 2019

    Britain has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday to provide explosive detection equipment to Libya’s Mitiga International Airport. British ambassador to Libya Frank Baker, and the Head of the Libyan Airports Department, Mohamed Bait al-Mal, signed the MoU, said a statement issued by the Libyan airports authority. “The signed MoU aims to establish joint cooperation ...

  • DHS SBIR Solicitation for FY19

    January 4, 2019

    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, comprised of the Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate’s SBIR Program and the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office SBIR Program, invites small business concerns to review this pre-solicitation notice, which is intended to lead to the FY19 DHS SBIR Phase I solicitation. Read ...

  • HEMRL develops device to detect 25 types of explosives

    December 15, 2018

    A group of scientists from High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a device called ‘OPX Revilator’, which can detect more than 25 pure explosives as well as trace of explosives mixtures in mud, sand, sugar, salt and diesel oil. “An explosive detection kit, known as EDK, was ...

  • Duke University researchers work toward an artificial nose to replace K9 dogs

    December 3, 2018

    Walk into airport security lines in the United States, and you’ll see K9 dogs sniffing for anything from narcotics to explosives. But what if a robot could do the same thing? Duke researchers recently published a paper in which they used mouse genes to grow odor receptors that could respond to specific odors. If this could ...

  • 10 Problems DHS Wants Innovative Small Businesses to Solve in 2019

    December 3, 2018

    The department will be offering millions of dollars to small businesses able to offer solutions to these 10 tough technical problems. The Homeland Security Department released a list of 10 bleeding-edge research areas it plans to pursue in fiscal 2019 in partnership with innovative small businesses. The department’s Science and Technology Directorate and Countering Weapons of Mass ...

  • A ‘robo-nose’ that could replace sniffer dogs is being built by scientists to detect narcotics, explosives and missing people

    November 20, 2018

    Trusty sniffer dogs that are used to detect drugs, explosives and missing people could soon be replaced by a ‘robo-nose’. Trained dogs are taught to use their sensitive sense of smell to detect the presence of certain chemicals and scientists have successfully recreated a robotic alternative. Researchers used genes from the nose of mice to develop the ...

  • Route clearance unit gets new components for its life-saving mine detection vehicles

    November 15, 2018

    U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers from the 305th Engineer Company (Clearance) are tasked with travelling supply routes looking for deadly improvised explosive devices (IED), and other explosive threats. The 305th recently received updated components for their Husky Mounted Detection Systems (HMDS). The new components allow the soldiers to better see explosive threats buried in the ground. The ...

  • New NATO scientific projects to help with the fight against terrorism

    November 12, 2018

    Three technologies on detection and clearance of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), namely a semi-autonomous robot for detection of mines and IEDs, a lightweight and easy-to-use mine detector and a handheld detector for dirty bombs, were successfully tested in Florence, Italy on 17 and 18 October 2018. These technologies are developed in the framework of NATO’s ...

  • India: 39 airports to get hand-held explosives scanner

    November 9, 2018

    Small airports will soon get an additional layer of security, with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) procuring real-time viewing systems for 39 airports, including Bhopal, Dehradun, Trichy and Jodhpur, two officials familiar with the matter said. The equipment is essential for the functioning of bomb detection and disposal systems and used for the detection of ...