Ahura First Defender:
Acquisition and Application
in the Academic Environment
2013 College and University
Hazardous Waste Conference
Kyle Dagestad
Sean Whalen
Iowa State University
Introduction
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The Money - Sean
The Selection - Sean
The Equipment - Kyle
The Goods and The Bads- Kyle
Safety and Maintenance – Kyle
The Money
• Homeland Security Buffer Zone Program
– Grant through ISU-Police
• FTIR and RAMAN for unknowns
• $82,500
– Equipment only
• Purchased the Ahura First Defender ($35,000) and Tru
Defender ($47,500)
• EH&S owns equipment
• Tru Defender on loan to Ames Fire HAZMAT
The Selection
• Two primary suppliers
– Ahura Scientific
– Smith’s Detection
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Disclaimer
Representative Presentations
Field Tests
Matrix
Field Tests
• Two Unknown “Spills”
– Citric Acid
– Soda Ash
• Lab Unknowns
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Corrosives
Solvents
Metals
Mixtures
Field Test
Ahura
• Either Yes or No
• Results
– 50% spill
– 73% unknowns
– High fluorescence is biggest
problem
Smith’s
• Provides options
• Results
– 50% spill
– 47% unknowns
– False Positives
• Ketamine as TNT
• Trimethylamine HCl as
molybdenum oxide or
propanol
Field Test Results
Matrix
• Pointed out best
unit
• Ahura scored
highest
• Ahura more
expensive
• Had to write
justification
The Equipment
How does it work?
• Raman Spectroscopy:
Molecular “fingerprint” of
the molecule
• Class 3B laser excites the
molecular bonds and
scatters measurable light to
identify unknowns
• ISU Ahura library- 10,152
Why the Ahura First Defender?
• Currently used by law
enforcement, firefighters, and the
military
• Very durable (4 Feet & 1 Meter)
• No calibration needed-confidence
check
• User friendly
• Ahura Customer Support- 24/7365
Identification Capabilities
• Drugs (illegal & prescription)
• White powders
• Inorganic compounds- (sulfuric acid,
nitric)
• Inorganic oxides- (rust, titanium dioxide)
• Ionic compounds-(sulfates, phosphates)
• Substances in water
• Identifies through container
• No covalent bonds
Identification Limitations
• Dark colored materials
• Highly fluorescent materials(dyes, ketchup)
• The sun can disrupt scan
• Most pure metals and elemental
substances
• Biologicals- confused by mix of
proteins, and fats
• Radiation, gasses, and vapors
• Highly diluted substances
Safety
• Follow your organization’s
Laser Safety Protocols Eyewear
• Maintain 14” distance
• Laser activated- don’t look
into lens
• NOT intrinsically safe
Maintenance
Cleaning
• Water, alcohol, household bleach
• Keep lens & nose cone clean
Updating
• Chemical library updates
• “LibBuild Mode”
• Good spectrum, but no match?
Export- “Ahura Reachback”
Demonstration Performance
Point and shoot through a bottle?
No problem!
Why you shouldn’t scan dark colored
materials video.