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SIFT-MS in ‘Border’ Applications
Container Air Analysis – the ‘Residual Fumigants’ issue
Fumigant-testing technologies
Syft’s ‘mature’ CAA application
Search for complementary applications – ‘Swab Desorption’
•Narcotics
•Explosives detection
•CWA and precursor detection
SIFT-MS Technology
Container Air Analysis
All container fumigants are harmful to humans
Containers can arrive at destination with dangerous levels – documentation is often unreliable
Residual fumigants create a hazard for workers entering the containers
Fumigants: the danger
Methyl bromide
Chloropicrin
Hydrogen cyanide
Ethylene oxide
Phosphine
Sulfuryl fluoride
Ethylene dibromide
Study conducted at Port of Rotterdam inspected 300 unmarked containers
• 29% exceeded the Dutch safety levels
• Methyl bromide (MeBr) was especially high – in two cases concentrations were 5 times higher than the safety level
Entering a container is risky!
The ‘Residual Fumigants’ issue:
Netherlands RIVM study
Syft has tested thousands of containers:
• 50% have measurable levels of fumigants
• 30% have levels above the TRGS 512 safety limits
• 10-20% have levels above international MAC levels
Syft’s experience
Analytical Tools for Fumigant Analysis
Colorimetric tubes
Crystals in tube react to a particular chemical(s)
Each fumigant requires a different tube: one Simultan kit is $100 for ONE TEST
Limitations of colorimetric tubes Colour change result is
subjective, leading to poor measurement accuracy
Cross-sensitivities produce false positive and false negative readings
High cost consumable items Environmental concerns with
disposal Complicated and fiddly to
operate
Electronic devices
Various technologies are available:
• IMS + MOS systems• Photoionisation detectors(PIDs)• Infrared sensors
Much more cost effective than colorimetric tubes
Require minimal training However these devices are not
very “specific” so can cause a significant number of false alarms
Market pull
There is a growing demand for a more accurate system delivering the following benefits: Produce very few false positives
and negatives, Be reliable and consistent, Be able to analyse ALL the
dangerous compounds that are observed in containers, in one measurement, AND
Add new compounds as required
Robust design
Simple to operate (touch screen)
Very fast (2 minutes per sample)
Very low cost per sample
Repeatable analytical-grade measurements
Uses no solvents or harmful substances
The Syft solution
The Voice200® instrument
Operated with minimal training and no technical experience:
1.Firstly take an air sample from container
2.Connect the sample bag to the analysis device
3.Begin analysis by pressing ‘start’ button
4.Analysis time for a sample is 1 – 2 minutes
5.Results are easy to interpret.
The Syft Solution
Syft fumigant testing now in use at eight Australian ports
Previously used colorimetric tubes – high OPEX costs, low user confidence
Selected Syft after three years’ evaluation of technologies
Australian Customs Service
CBSA has six Syft instruments at port sites
Use a “mixed” method to test for fumigants and a few TICs
CBSA chose Syft after a rigorous, lab-cased investigation of available technologies
Canadian Customs
In Benelux, private companies provide testing / ventilation services
Syft equipment is used in mobile testing units
Specificity is important – false positives are costly!
High customer satisfaction due to fast, reliable measurement, and large cost savings versus colorimetric tubes
European Commercial Customers
Syft’s search for complementary applications
Syft’s ‘gold standard’ CAA application has been sold to ACS, CBSA
European Customs agencies also evaluating Syft for CAA
Is Syft just for ‘Health & Safety’?
What ‘mission-related’ applications can we offer?
Swab Desorption Trace detection applications for Border
Control, Security Substance identification SIFT-MS benefit of very high specificity means
few false positives
Narcotics
1. Identified via breakdown products, impurities and other indicator compounds.2. Only the base form is detectable.3. Salts (e.g. hydrochloride & sulfate) may be detectable via swab based
methods.
Compound Name Gas Phase Detection Swab-based Detection
Heroin Yes1 Yes1
Cocaine Yes1 Yes1
Cannabis Yes1 Yes1
Amphetamine Yes2 Yes3
Methamphetamine Yes2 Yes3
MDMA No Yes
MDA Yes Yes
g-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) Yes Yes
g-Butyrolactone (GBL) Yes Yes
Drug Precursors
1.Salts ( e.g. hydrochloride & sulfate) may be detectable via swab-based methods.
Compound Name Gas Phase Detection
Swab-based Detection
Ephedrine No Yes1
Pseudoephedrine No Yes1
Norephedrine No Yes1
P2P Yes Yes
2P Yes Yes
Safrole Yes Yes
Isosafrole Yes Yes
Piperonal Yes Yes
Acetic Anhydride Yes Yes
Explosives & TaggantsCompound Name Gas Phase Detection Swab-based Detection
DMNB {taggant} Yes Yes
Nitrotoluene {taggant} Yes Yes
EGDN {taggant} Yes Yes
TNT 1 Yes Yes1
Nitroglycerine Yes Yes
Ammonium nitrate No Yes
Urea nitrate No Yes
RDX No Yes2
C4 No Yes2
Semtex H. No Yes2
PETN No Yes2
HMX No Yes2
TATP Yes Yes
HMTD Yes Yes
1. Practical detection of TNT is via the DNT impurity2. Plastic explosives may be detectable, but most likely via taggants, e.g. DMNB.
CWAsCompound Name Gas Phase Detection Swab-based Detection
Sarin Yes Yes
Cyclosarin Yes Yes
Ethylsarin Yes Yes
Soman Yes Yes
Tabun Yes Yes
Agent VX No Yes
Lewisite 1 Yes Yes
Sulfur Mustard Yes Yes
Hydrogen cyanide Yes Yes
Chloropicrin Yes Yes
Carbonyl dichloride (phosgene) Yes Yes
Chloroacetophenone Yes Yes
CWA Precursors & Surrogates
Compound Name Gas Phase Detection Swab-based Detection
Thiophosphoryl chloride Yes Yes
2-Chloroethyl ethyl sulphide (CEES) Yes Yes
Diethyl ethanolamine Yes Yes
Dimethyl methyl phosphonate-DMMP1 Yes Yes
Diethyl phosphite Yes Yes
Diisopropyl phosphite Yes Yes
Triisopropyl phosphite Yes Yes
Trimethyl phosphate Yes Yes
(Diisopropylamino) ethanol Yes Yes
Pinacolyl alcohol Yes Yes
Pinacolone Yes Yes
1. Also detectable are DEMP, DMEP, DEEP and other similar compounds
Australian DOD DSTO Summary
Confirmed ability of Voice to perform analysis of CWAs.
Voice has ability to discriminate CWAs from other interferent analytes.
SIFT-MS can also be used to detect and analyze impurities.
Quantitative evaluation confirmed Voice is capable of detecting GB at ppt level.
SIFT-MS Technology
The science: what does SIFT-MS do?
Selected Ion Flow Tube – Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS) uses precisely controlled chemical ionisation reactions to detect and quantify trace amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
… from whole air… in real time… with typical detection
limits at part-per-trillion level (by volume – pptv)
SIFT-MS Principles
Syft Product Evolution
University model4,000 kg
Syft Tech Lab Demo500 kg
Voice100TM 1st Commercial450 kg
Voice200® 2nd Gen.212 kg July 2007
Syft formedLate 2002
July 2007
April 2005