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