Carbon Monoxide electrochemical sensors are commonly installed in 4 or 5-gas air monitors and are calibrated using CO at 50ppm. The issue with these and many other electrochemical sensors is that there are many cross-sensitive gases and vapors that can either give false readings or inhibit the accurate measurement of the target gas.
The only way for an operator to know that the readings on a CO sensor are accurate is to locate and identify the source of CO. Unfortunately, many inexperienced operators have a tendency to believe that if a reading is obtained on a CO sensor, then CO must be present. This is not the case and sometimes can be a dangerous assumption for both the responder and any future occupants of the structure.
Each manufacturer provides a list of known cross-sensitivities to their electrochemical sensors. One example is TN-114 from Honeywell RAE. This tech note lists 20 gases and vapors that are cross-sensitive on a CO sensor with varying responses for each. For example, Acetylene has a 1:1 response on a CO sensor and NO2 can actually have a negative response. Many alcohol vapors are also considered cross-sensitive and can potentially inhibit a CO sensor. While correction factors are available for many electrochemical cells, they tend to have high rates of error due to the non-linear response of many cross-sensitivities. Therefore, care should be taken when using the calculated concentrations, always erring on the side of safety. It is prudent for an operator to investigate the actual source of any readings that are obtained so that appropriate actions may be taken.
The RedWave XplorIR would be a logical pairing with a CO sensor to identify the source of the readings and ensure that appropriate actions are taken. The XplorIR can identify Carbon Monoxide if it is present, but also identify all but one of the listed cross-sensitive gases, that being H2 due to the fact that it is a homonuclear diatom.
As long as the operator is using a 4-gas monitor with a Methane calibrated LEL sensor, H2 has a 1.0 correlation factor and the operator will see LEL readings well before danger is encountered. This means that an XplorIR paired with a 4 or 5-gas air monitor will increase the effectiveness and safety of a responder and the public.
https://redwavetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Screen-Shot-2023-05-09-at-12.03.45-PM.png6521154redwave/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/logo_redwave.svgredwave2023-05-09 12:06:502023-05-10 12:58:28CO Cross-sensitivity and XplorIR
Most 4 or 5-gas air monitors used in emergency response employ an Oxygen sensor for monitoring O2 levels in the air. This serves two purposes simultaneously by ensuring that there is enough O2 in the air for the unprotected responder and for the proper operation of the catalytic bead LEL sensor. If a drop in O2 is observed, the operator should consider using a supplied air respirator, and is required by OSHA once the level drops below 19.5%, which is considered an IDLH atmosphere.
A small change in O2 readings on an air monitor equals a potentially large quantity of contaminants in the air because the drop in O2 only represents 1/5 of the actual displacement of air. Consider the following: a decrease of 0.1% (from 20.9 to 20.8%) O2 is actually a 0.5% displacement of total atmosphere which equals ~5,000ppm of an unknown contaminant; if the instrument employs a “dead band” to reduce reading variation, the concentration of unknown could be 10,000 ppm or higher. These levels would be well above the IDLH level of most toxic chemicals.
It is possible that no other sensor installed in the monitor is cross-sensitive to that contaminant, making the O2 reading the only indication of a contaminant present. That being said, any unexplained drop in O2, even with no other readings, should be treated as a potential IDLH environment and SCBA should be worn until the atmosphere is identified.
If the RedWave XplorIR is deployed with a 4 or 5-gas monitor during a recon entry, it is very likely that a contaminant would be identified at a much lower level (25-50ppm) than where an O2 sensor would indicate displacement (~10,000ppm) therefore preventing an operator from blindly wandering into a potentially dangerous gas cloud.
The XplorIR is capable of identifying over 5,500 gases and vapors at levels well below what would cause an O2 sensor to respond, therefore increasing the safety of responders during recon operations and filling a gap in our risk assessment technology.
https://redwavetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Screen-Shot-2023-05-09-at-12.04.38-PM.png6441150redwave/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/logo_redwave.svgredwave2023-03-14 12:49:102023-05-09 12:05:37Oxygen Displacement and XplorIR
This is the fourth in a series of webinars with Dr. Christina Baxter, CEO of Emergency Response TIPS, and RedWave Technology titled – Emerging Threats, Emerging Solutions. This fourth webinar provides an overview of the methods used for chemical suicides as well as an overview of the role of FTIR technology for these types of events where the detection and identification of materials in gas, liquid, and solid phase is required.
The course will also look at Emerging Solutions for each of the threat categories and see where current and evolving technologies come together to address the operational needs. Remember, no one device will cover all the operational needs. Instead, using a “toolbox” approach to detection will provide the operator with the necessary capabilities.
Speakers:
Dr. Christina Baxter, CEO, Emergency Response TIPS
Photoionization detectors (PIDs) are an important tool for hazmat responders. Over the last 40 years, their usage has grown due to their high sensitivity and response to a wide variety of gases and vapors. The most common PIDs, equipped with a 10.6 eV source, can measure hundreds of different volatile organic compounds. They provide a readout that corresponds to concentration, making them useful for characterizing scenes involving toxic gases.
Being a detection technology, PIDs only alert the user to the presence of a gas substance; they can not identify the gas. In fact, each gas has a different response profile, meaning the stated concentration is only accurate for the gas to which the instrument was calibrated to isobutylene. Correction factors are available for many chemicals, converting the output to an accurate concentration for the actual sample.
Pairing a PID with the ThreatID which can identify the gas in question provides much more information to accurately assess and address toxic gas leaks. The ThreatID is a chemical analyzer that uses FTIR spectroscopy with its unique interchangeable gas module. The two systems are synergistic. Identifying the chemical in question with the ThreatID allows the user to enter the proper correction factor so the PID can report the actual sample concentration. Additionally, the identification allows other critical information, such as the IDLH value of the gas, to be determined. This information can be critical to making a scene safe and addressing the problem.
In a way, the ThreatID and a PID make an ideal instrument combination for response to emergencies involving toxic gases and vapors. The sensitive, real-time detection capabilities of a PID make it an ideal solution for finding the highest concentrations of gases from which to gather a sample and identify with the ThreatID. Once the sample has been measured and identified with the ThreatID, the integrated ThreatAssist database gives the PID correction factor for the identified material, which can be directly entered into the PID to provide accurate concentration measurements. Used together, the ThreatID and a PID can provide both the identity and accurate concentration of an unknown gas, giving users the key information needed to handle gas and vapor emergencies.
The ThreatID is an accurate gas identifier of over 5,000 toxic industrial and volatile organic gases in an easy-to-use and affordable package. By combining well-known FTIR spectroscopy, a long path-length gas cell, and RedWave’s customer support, the ThreatID fills the gas identification gap present in many teams’ equipment capabilities.
https://redwavetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PID-detection-with-RedWave-ThreatID.jpg6661000jfitzpatrick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/logo_redwave.svgjfitzpatrick2021-06-11 18:10:202022-12-09 15:49:08Make Your PID More Accurate
When responding to a Hazmat incident, knowing what you’re dealing with is key to keeping people safe and effectively dealing with the situation. Once you identify a material, the hazards and properties of that material are readily at your fingertips. For solids and liquids, there are many tools available for the identification of unknowns. Led by the “white powder” scares of the early 2000s, FTIR and Raman instruments have been developed which can quickly and easily identify thousands of unknown solids and liquids. Many Hazmat teams worldwide have successfully used this equipment, providing identification of unknowns and improving the safety of their community.
In contrast to solids and liquids, though, there has been a real gap in the ability of instruments to identify unknown gases for Hazmat response. By their very nature, gases exist at lower concentrations, making identification more difficult. Unfortunately, gases pose the greatest danger in emergency response. They can be toxic at low concentrations, and they are uncontained. To describe the danger in common terms, “They can come out and get you”.
The new ThreatID-GLS from Redwave Technology addresses this gap by providing identification of solids, liquids, and gases using FTIR spectroscopy. Adding sensitive gas measurement to the well-known FTIR technology now allows responders to identify gases that pose the greatest danger to both the responders and the community with an already familiar technique.
Detection vs Identification
First responders have many tools to detect and quantify gases. Combustion gas indications (CGI), photoionization detectors (PIDs), and chemical-specific sensors (such as a 4 or 6 gas meter), all indicate if certain gases are present and predict a concentration, but none of them actually identify the material. The PID is a great example. It is highly sensitive, and it can detect a wide variety of gases. With the proper calibration, it can also accurately quantify many gases. Teams love using the PID because they can see so many different materials. This universal nature is both its advantage and its downfall. If there is a gas present, most likely the PID will respond, telling you something is there. Unfortunately, you still don’t know what is there. What are the dangers? How much of it is a problem? How do you remediate it? The PID lets you find it but doesn’t tell you what it is. Pairing the PID with the ThreatID-GLS gives the ability to quickly detect and locate the gas of interest (using the PID), as well as accurately identify the material (using the ThreatID-GLS). Additionally, once the identification is made with the ThreatID-GLS, the correct calibration factor can be entered into the PID, allowing for accurate quantitative measurement.
Chemical-specific electrochemical sensors and flame ionization spectrometers are more specific than CGI or PID detectors, but their identification abilities are still limited. Electrochemical sensors are targeted at specific compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide or carbon monoxide; however, they have cross-reactivity to other compounds as well. A positive reading is indicative of the gas present, but not a real identification. Flame spectroscopy detectors (FSD) are more specific than PIDs. Commonly used handheld models respond to compounds containing arsenic, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus. Similar to the electrochemical sensors, this allows classification but not identification.
Other instruments provide identification for specific threats; however, the ThreatID provides the largest coverage of commonly found gases at relevant concentrations. Ion mobility spectroscopy (IMS) and high-pressure mass spectrometry (HPMS) both provide sensitive detection of specific, targeted threats. Both are important tools for the detection and identification of CWAs and dangerous narcotics.
For general use, though, they present some issues. First, the number of materials identifiable by these systems is quite low. IMS is very sensitive, but it’s targeted at CWA and a few select toxic industrial chemicals (TICs); they provide identification or classification of approximately 50 compounds. HPMS is more versatile, covering CWA, TICs, and many narcotics. Each of these can be detected with great sensitivity, but the number of compounds identified is on the order of several hundred. By comparison, the ThreatID-GLS has 5,600 compounds in the library covering a wide range of TICs and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This allows simple identification of many substances found on typical hazardous materials calls.
Sensitivity vs Usability
An instrument with high sensitivity can accurately identify even a small amount of material. Obviously, high sensitivity is advantageous when dealing with hazardous materials. Making an identification at a low concentration helps to keep both responders and the public safe. Sensitivity can have a downside as well because the system can be easily contaminated with too many samples. The ThreatID-GLS can identify most compounds at concentrations in the part per million (ppm) range. Additionally, with partial filling of the gas cell, it can identify compounds over 3 orders of magnitude. As an example, ammonia can be accurately identified at concentrations ranging from 25 ppm to over 0.5%. This gives the ability to identify and address both small and large problems. The preview screen alerts the user when a sufficient sample is in the cell for identification. If an excess sample is added to the cell, it can typically be pumped clean in a matter of minutes; there is no need to conduct an extensive cleaning, or “bake-out”, procedure.
Small Molecules
Absorbances measured by infrared spectroscopy are based on covalent chemical bonds present in the sample and consequently are unaffected by the molecular weight of a sample. There is no limit, either high or low, to the sample molecular mass which can be measured by infrared. Mass spectrometers, on the other hand, have a molecular weight range for which they are effective. In particular, the minimum molecular weight measurable by most portable mass spectrometers is approximately 50 atomic mass units.
Many hazardous gases which have low molecular weights are identifiable by the ThreatID-GLS, but not by commercially available mass spectrometers. Examples include ammonia (17 AMU), diborane (27 AMU), formaldehyde (30 AMU), hydrogen cyanide (27 AMU), and carbon monoxide (28 AMU), and phosphine (36 AMU). All of these gases are listed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as hazardous industrial gases and are identifiable by the ThreatID-GLS.
Simple Use, Important Results
The ThreatID-GLS allows for easy chemical identification, whether they are solids, liquids, or gases. By extending well accepted infrared spectroscopy identification to gases, the ThreatID-GLS allows responders to increase safety and improve response to chemical gases and vapors which represent one of the larger dangers that they deal with. Overall, the system can identify over 5,500gases, and over 22,000 solids and liquids, providing the broadest range of chemical identification available.
https://redwavetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/71586074_1506408049508612_4639054993146511360_n.jpg8931431jfitzpatrick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/logo_redwave.svgjfitzpatrick2021-05-18 18:47:002023-03-15 11:00:09The Gas Identification Gap
This is the third webinar in a series with Dr. Christina Baxter, CEO of Emergency Response TIPS, and RedWave Technology titled – Emerging Threats, Emerging Solutions. This webinar will provide an overview of the explosives threats that we face as emergency response and military personnel as well as an overview of the role of FTIR technology as one of the tools in your response toolbox.
The explosives threat space is multi-dimensional, including commercial, military, and homemade explosives. The threat segment of this course will focus on identifying the threats in and around your jurisdiction, aligning your capabilities with those threats, and identifying gaps in your toolset.
The course will also look at Emerging Solutions for each of the threat categories and see where current and evolving technologies come together to address the operational needs. Remember, no one device will cover all the operational needs. Instead, using a “toolbox” approach to detection will provide the operator with the necessary capabilities.
This is the second webinar in a series with Dr. Christina Baxter, CEO of Emergency Response TIPS, and RedWave Technology titled – Emerging Threats, Emerging Solutions. This webinar in our Emerging Threats, Emerging Solutions series provides an overview of the HazMat/CBRNE industrial chemical threats we face as emergency responders and military personnel as well as an overview of the role FTIR technology serves as one of the tools in your response toolbox.
This HazMat/CBRNE threat space is multi-dimensional, including accidental releases of hazardous materials. The threat segment of this course will focus on identifying the industrial chemical threats in and around various jurisdictions, aligning your capabilities with those threats, and identifying gaps in your tool set. The webinar also explores Emerging Solutions for each of the threat categories and how current (and evolving) technologies come together to address operational needs.
Speakers:
Dr. Christina Baxter, CEO, Emergency Response TIPS
This is the first in a series of webinars with Dr. Christina Baxter, CEO of Emergency Response TIPS, and RedWave Technology titled – Emerging Threats, Emerging Solutions. This first webinar provides an overview of the emerging threats that we face as emergency response and military personnel as well as an overview of the role of FTIR technologyin the response.
Following anti-Western media outlets and their propaganda campaigns provides a means to continuously have a “bird’s eye view” of the evolving threats that must be prepared for. From printed media to online digital magazines to online forums, the way in which groups proliferate radical ideas and communicate potential attack scenarios continues to evolve. Recognizing and understanding the threat and the risk that it poses is critical to determining the appropriate response. This course will focus on chemical threats including industrial chemicals, binary devices, pharmaceutical-based agents, fourth-generation agents, and homemade explosives.
The course will also look at Emerging Solutions for each of the threat categories and see where current and evolving technologies come together to address the operational needs. Remember, no one device will cover all the operational needs. Instead, using a “toolbox” approach to detection will provide the operator with the necessary capabilities.
Speakers:
Dr. Christina Baxter, CEO, Emergency Response TIPS
Dr. John Seelenbinder, RedWave Technology
Mr. Jim Fitzpatrick, RedWave Technology
NOTE: This is the first in this series of webinars. Please keep your eyes peeled for upcoming monthly events. The second event in this series will be focused on the Hazmat/CBRN threat on December 15, 2020. Upcoming months will focus on Clandestine Laboratories, Homemade Explosives, Fire Exposure and Arson Investigation, and more!
https://redwavetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Evolving-Threat-Landscape.png9481686jfitzpatrick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/logo_redwave.svgjfitzpatrick2020-11-25 15:32:002022-12-09 15:51:11Webinar 1 – Dr. Christina Baxter
RedWave’s ThreatID is the most powerful portable chemical analyzer on the market today. ThreatID comes standard with more than 22,000 reference spectra including toxic industrial chemicals,narcotics (including fentanyl), pesticides, explosives, weapons of mass destruction (including 4th generation novichok reagents), and common consumer products.
ThreatID was purpose-built for emergency response as a fully waterproof and ruggedized chemical analyzer. Our large, 10” touch screen display facilitates viewing and usability even in level-A protection gear. ThreatID is simple to use, just turn it on and let the on-screen video tutorials and user prompts guide you through sample analysis. Our state-of-the-art mixture algorithms combined with our extensive library will help you identify the widest range of substances.
ThreatID goes beyond limited handheld analyzers with onboard tools such as pinch-to-zoom spectral manipulation, residual component analysis, functional group identification, and push-button data transmission capabilities.
In the event of an emergency, RedWave’s Reachback team is available around the clock (show 24/7/365 on the screen) to support and assist with software, hardware, and advanced spectral interpretation.
ThreatID is proudly made right here in the USA and our team members include core individuals who delivered the first portable FTIR chemical analyzers designed for first responders.
Learn more about RedWave and our ThreatID device by calling us at (888) 326-8186 (USA Only). Stay safe and we hope to hear from you soon.
https://redwavetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/RedWave-ThreatID-GLS-Manufacturing.png10041504jfitzpatrick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/logo_redwave.svgjfitzpatrick2020-06-04 14:57:002022-12-09 15:52:11ThreatID – Most powerful FTIR chemical analyzer
The great strengths of the ATR-FTIR technique for identifying chemicals are the technique’s analysis speed, sample handling simplicity, spectral measurement in the definitive chemical “fingerprint” region, and access to extensive spectral databases. The first three strengths are inherent to the FTIR technique; the latter strength is related to the importance and effort that the analyzer manufacturer places in developing and offering spectral libraries.
Our view at RedWave Technology is that our ThreatID FTIR chemical analyzer and our spectral database are like the proverbial hammer and nail, one is necessary for the other to get the job done. We also believe that a spectral database is never really completed, and should always be growing and advancing as new threats emerge. We also strongly believe that the analyzer provides actionable intelligence – threat toxicity and routes of action, threat mitigation, common uses, common names, and protective ensemble recommendations – based on the threat identification. For this reason, RedWave Technology invests significant time and resources in the continuing development of spectral libraries and database search enhancements.
Last week, Dr. David Schiering, RedWave Technology’s Chief Technical Officer, spent several days at the Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical and Biological Center in Maryland, our government’s R&D site for chemical and biological defense, recording the spectra of critical WMD agents including blister, nerve, and Fourth Generation Agents.
The infrared spectra of these highly toxic chemicals are now incorporated in a separate library in the ThreatID database and are available to our users. In addition to the more “common” agents, several Fourth Generation, also known as Novichoks or A-series agents, were measured and our WMD library now contains the IR spectra of these highly toxic, persistent agents.
This announcement is an example of RedWave Technology’s commitment to continue the enhancement and expansion of ThreatID’s spectral database, ThreatAssist As important as adding a library of chemical agents, we are continually upgrading the database with libraries in application areas outside of WMDs. Of particular relevance, and an area of focus is the development and enhancement of libraries that contain a range of both solid and liquid mixtures. With respect to mixtures, advanced algorithms for analyzing these more complicated samples are another area of concentrated development here at RedWave.
The ThreatID system now comes standard with a database containing over 12,000 spectra of explosives, pesticides, TICs, TIMs, and forensic drugs, and is continually growing. We have recently updated the consumer products, powders, and common household goods libraries. As threats change, we rapidly add them to our libraries and, for example, the ThreatID database now contains an advanced opiate spectral library. Furthermore, ThreatID users can purchase third-party IR spectral libraries, which can add up to an additional 40,000 spectra to the overall database. One of ThreatID’s advantages over handheld Raman and IR hazmat analyzers is that its spacious storage enables 50,000 reference spectra to be contained on-board. This is greater than any other commercial spectroscopic hazmat analyzer currently available.
The continual development and expansion of ThreatID spectral libraries is another example of RedWave Technology’s unwavering commitment to developing the best hazmat analyzers and to providing support that matches the demanding requirements of the hazmat response community.
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