Development of a Novel Continuous-Reading Sensor for Measuring Exposures to Ammonia in Agricultural Workplaces and Their Environs

Details

• Personal Author:
  Mamishev AV ; Simpson CD
• Description:
  Ammonia is an irritant gas that has been associated with diseases of the respiratory tract at concentrations below the current occupational exposure limit. Unfortunately, the monitoring equipment currently available that has adequate sensitivity to detect ambient concentrations of ammonia is expensive, is often not portable, and requires regular attention from trained technicians to ensure quality data. These instruments, therefore, are poorly suited for monitoring personal exposures to ammonia amongst exposed populations. To address these limitations we fabricated and tested a low cost ammonia sensor for use in exposure assessments of ammonia concentrations in impacted communities such as those living near animal feeding operations and in urban centers. These are some of the key outcomes from this project: 1. We fabricated a variety of sensors based on single walled carbon nano tubes (SWCNT), doped with either Nafion or polyethyleneimine (PEI). 2. The input and output data streams to and from the sensor are multiplexed using the Arduino Nano microcontroller. A 16-bit analog-to-digital convertor was incorporated into the testing circuit to enhance the resolution of the sensor response. 3. The initial iteration of the Nafion doped SWCNT sensors responded to ammonia at concentration between 0.07 to 100 ppm, however the performance of these sensors was limited by slow response and recovery times. 4. In order to improve sensor response times, an additional batch of sensors with a thinner sensor surface was fabricated and tested. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Animal Husbandry Animals Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Industry Animal Husbandry Equipment Design Exposure Assessment Monitoring Systems Monitors Sampling Equipment Sensors Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes SWCNT
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20065851
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, R21-OH-011364, 2021 Dec; :1-11
• Contact Point Address:
  Christopher D. Simpson, BS, MS, PhD, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1016
• Email:
  simpson1@u.washington.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Ammonia (CAS RN 7664-41-7) ; Carbon nanotubes (CAS RN 308068-56-6)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington, Seattle
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20180901
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20200831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a255661074ff657b692ab740a8d62d0bf134f3dab7d29ecc787144aaa9c280c3a5ec26c76650444cea4aaa38885fcee8121c9f1e3262cf20edfa94b8a6335313
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/219127/cdc_219127_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 165.33 KB ]