ABSTRACT
Outdoor Air ........................................................................305 11.5 Detection of Explosives with CEAS .............................................................307
11.5.1 Measurements of Explosives Using CEAS ....................................... 310 11.5.1.1 Detection of Explosives with MM-CRDS ......................... 311
11.6 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 313 Acknowledgments .................................................................................................. 314 References .............................................................................................................. 314
The rapid and accurate detection of vapor-phase explosives and chemical warfare agents (CWAs) requires extremely sensitive analytical technologies. The low vapor pressure of common explosives means that exceedingly small concentrations are likely to be found in the ambient atmosphere even under the best of conditions; when the explosive is intentionally concealed, detection becomes nearly impossible.1 For this reason, safety specialists desire the lowest possible detection limits for explosives. The required detection limits for CWAs are more favorable, because their use involves intentional dispersal at high parts-per-billion (ppb) concentrations or more, and these compounds typically exist in the vapor phase. However, CWA detection must be performed rapidly (within minutes), because affected personnel need to don personal protective equipment as quickly as possible. From an operational standpoint, both explosive and CWA measurement methods must not produce frequent false positives due to the high cost of responding to false alarms.
