SBIR-STTR Award

The drive to improve agricultural output in America has led to advancements in many technologies which improve product yields while simultaneously increasing environmental pollution and toxins. In particular ammonia vapor has been identified by the EPA and OSHA asa principle pollutant and toxin arising from various sources of agricultural waste (ie. fertilizer overuse improper animal waste management etc.) and industrial strength cleaning solutions contaminating air and water sources and threatening the health and safety of human beings livestock and crops. Moreover the high pollution density of many industrial agricultural enterprises raises the potential for both long and short-term hazards ranging from mild ammonia exposure to severe ammonia poisoning. OSHA has set a 50 ppm limit for ammonia exposure over an 8-hour work day and the EPA considers 300 ppm exposure to be immediately threatening to human life. In response to the stated needs of the USDA Special Research Priorities for new and improved technologies to monitor air quality and reduce air pollution stemming from agricultural enterprises Seacoast proposes the development of a novel low-cost high-performance ammonia detector. This device will monitor and quantify the intensity and duration of gas-phase ammonia in real- time maintain a record of the cumulative vapor load and wirelessly transmit this data to a personal computing device for analysis via software that can be operated with minimal user training. The wireless capabilities will also enable each sensor to be utilized as a node in a wireless ammonia detection network that can accurately capture detailed 3D information regarding the evolution and diffusion of ammonia vapor across a diverse array of agricultural and industrial settings. An ammonia detector that is sufficiently versatile to accommodate the diversity of chemical detection needs across a range of physical settings would find broad appeal to the market. In particular a device which allows end-users to accurately collect real-time topographical data on the diffusion of ammonia vapor across a diverse array of 3-deminsional orientations and configurations would fill a critical need. The underlying sensing technology of the proposed ammonia detector is based on the integration of novel ammonia-sensitive Lewis Acid Telechelic Polymers (LATPs) measured by the proprietary Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems MEMS chemicapacitor and chemiresistor transducers developed at Seacoast. In Phase I Seacoast Science Inc. will validate proof of concept for a low-cost polymer-based gas-phase ammonia detector. The goals of Phase I work are to 1) Develop novel ammonia-sensitive LATPs; 2) Analyze the use of LATPs as an ammonia detection platform; 3) Identify methods to rationally improve upon the LATP sensitivity versus interferents4) Develop temperature and humidity calibration plots; 5) Outline the steps necessary to develop an advanced prototype for Phase II. The proposed system will allow both periodic detection and continuous unattended monitoring of ammonia vapor in a user-friendly device that can be operated by non-technical staff.

Chemicals released from agricultural waste are major contributors to air and water pollution both domestically and globally. This is especially true of ammonia (NH ) a colorless pungent gas3 that forms as an agricultural waste byproduct and is commonly found in cleaning agents used in agricultural settings. NH gas is hazardous to the health of humans livestock and crops with the3severity of health effects largely dependent upon the dose duration and exposure route. Contact with small amounts of NH can cause damage to the eyes and respiratory tracts of both humans3and livestock while exposure to larger amounts of NH can cause blindness and/or permanent lung3 + damage. Moreover once volatilized NH remains reactive and can quickly convert to NH4 that3 nucleates particulates linked to cardiopulmonary disease; react more slowly to become NOa2 greenhouse gas almost 300x as powerful as CO or combine with NOx gases to form smog.2; Currently there are no low-cost user-friendly NH vapor detection methods capable of3 remotely monitoring and reporting reliable real-time measurements and accurate measurements of NH pollution are exceedingly difficult to collect in agricultural environments. As a result the3 sources of NH generation and its subsequent diffusion behavior are more difficult to pinpoint and3 the true output of NH pollution is frequently underestimated. A consequence of NH pollution in3 3 many farms is a pervasiveness of unhealthy animals with respiratory diseases which can render them unsafe for human consumption and lowering farm profitability. In response to the stated needs of the USDA Special Research Priorities for new and improved technologies to monitor air quality and reduce air pollution stemming from agricultural enterprises Seacoast proposes the development of a rugged low-cost high-performance ammonia detector. This device will monitor and quantify the intensity and duration of gas-phase NH in real-time3 maintain a record of the cumulative vapor load and wirelessly transmit this data to a personal computing device for analysis via software that can be operated with minimal user training. The wireless capabilities will also enable each sensor to be utilized as a node in a wireless NH3 detection network that can accurately capture detailed 3D information regarding the evolution and diffusion of NH vapor across a diverse array of agricultural settings. The underlying sensing3 technology of the proposed NH3 detector is based on the integration of novel NH3 -sensitive Lewis Acid Telechelic Polymers (LATPs) measured by the proprietary Micro-Electro- Mechanical-Systems MEMS chemicapacitor & chemiresistor transducers developed at Seacoast. In Phase I Seacoast established proof-of-concept for a low-cost polymer-based NH vapor3 detector; developing novel NH -sensitive LATPs; analyzing their response to NH vs select3 3 interferents; and monitoring sensor response in controlled variable temperature and humidity environment to collect training data for calibration algorithms. In Phase II we will explore opportunities to improve the LATP molecular design to enhance sensitivity performance and stability of the sensor array; perform advanced studies of NH vs. interferents and investigate aging3 behavior for detailed calibrations and compensation algorithms; explore optimal methods to integrate the prototypes with electronics; design and build 10 prototypes with multiplexed readout circuitry and detection algorithms; and test the prototypes at a commercial poultry farm. Seacoast's low-cost NH detector will allow both periodic detection and continuous unattended3monitoring of NH vapor in an affordable user-friendly device that can be operated by non- 3technical staff to enhance decision support for sustainable NH mitigation and remediation efforts.3An NH detector that is sufficiently versatile to accommodate the diversity