Hand-held, Portable Device to Detect VOCs in Water, Soil and Air Samples
Defiant Technologies
6814A Academy Parkway W ME
Albuquerque, NM 87109-4406
Telephone: (505) 999-5880
http://www.defiant-tech.com
Environmental Problem
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) encompass a
broad range of chemicals that are present in all parts of
the environment. They occur naturally, can be created
and emitted by industrial and commercial processes,
and are in many common products that are found in
the home or work settings (e.g., cleaners, paints,
gasoline, lubricants, pesticides, building materials,
cosmetics and glues). Some are harmless and others,
such as the known carcinogen benzene, are quite
deleterious to human health. Historically, the health
effects of VOCs were poorly understood, and many
chemicals from industrial processes were dumped in
waterways and landfills with little regard for the future
effects of these chemicals.
Although few of the compounds are acutely toxic,
unhealthy effects are typically attributable to long-term
exposure and may result in cancer, damage to the
liver, kidneys and central nervous system, and
respiratory problems. The cumulative effects of long-
term exposure to VOCs are difficult to measure, study
and define. In addition, measuring and controlling
VOCs presents challenges because their high vapor
pressures and tendency to evaporate at room
temperatures means that the compounds can be
detected only in trace amounts. VOC detection
traditionally has been a costly and time-consuming
process. Samples are sent to commercial
environmental laboratories, with processing taking
approximately 7-14 days at the cost of about $150 per
sample. The characterization and remediation of a
large contaminated site may require analysis of
hundreds of samples.
Additionally, many industries, such as the gas and oil
industry, face a tremendous amount of regulation
regarding VOCs and chemical waste, with no
anticipated reduction of regulatory oversight in the
near future. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) publishes Regional Screening Levels
(RSLs) for many VOCs and other chemicals, which
are risk-based concentrations for resident and
industrial soil, air and tapwater that are considered
protective for humans over a lifetime. RSLs are used
to identify concentrations that may pose risks to
human health. Furthermore, many states enforce their
own regulations for VOC content in water, soil and
air. The lack of consistent guidelines between federal,
state, tribal and local agencies may cause confusion
about which regulations apply to a remediation site.
SBIR Technology Solution
With support from EPAs Small ESusiness Innovation
Research (SBIR) Program, Defiant Technologies
developed a hand-held, portable device to detect
and analyze VOCs in water, soil and air. The FROG-
4000™, a portable gas chromatography (GC)
instrument, is constructed with miniaturized
components used for analytical chemistry. The
instrument's gas module contains three key
components: a micro preconcentrator that is coated
with a designer nanoporous material, a micro gas
chromatography column that is 4.8 meters long, and
a miniature 10.6 eV photoionization detector (PID)
with a replaceable bulb. An integrated heater allows
for temperature ramp chromatography that aids in
the separation of late eluting compounds. The gas
module contains a small pump and valves to manage
the air flow through the system. The instrument
scrubs ambient air through an inexpensive filter
material to use as the carrier gas. The temperature
program and air flow parameters are programmed
and controlled by the included software, Eilvin™.
The battery powered FROG-4000™ is the smallest
and lightest GC system on the market today and
provides onsite VOC analysis results in less than 10
minutes. The instrument includes a purge-and-trap
collection device on the front end, allowing quick
and efficient analysis of water and soil samples. Air
samples are collected and processed through a simple
attachment that fits into the purge-and-trap
components. When an analysis is complete, the
chemical name and concentration can be viewed on
the device's LCD display, or the user may watch the
chromatogram real time on a computer that is
running the Eilvin™ software.
Commercialization Information
The FROG-4000™ chemical detector is available via
direct sales throughout the United States and through
international distributors for the worldwide market. In
addition, the FROG-4000™ is available for rent in the
United States to allow customers to experience the
ease of use and rapid analysis times on a low risk basis.
Commercial applications include the rapid site
EPA SBIR Success Stories

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characterization of BTEX (benzene, toluene,
ethylbenzene and xylene) contaminants from oil
and gas releases; the detection and
characterization of trichloroethylene (TCE),
perchloroethylene (PCE) and vinyl chloride from
industrial process releases, such as dry cleaning
businesses or parts degreasing; process monitoring
of solvents in industrial manufacturing, such as
pharmaceutical and personal care products
production; process monitoring in the food
industry, such as checking for spoilage for
example; and process monitoring in the beverage
industry, such as monitoring fermentation
processes and confirming purity of CO2. The
FROG-4000™ has been used to characterize
chlorinated alkenes in extraction wells at a
Superfund site in Tacoma, WA, determine PCE
concentrations in ground water at a former landfill
site in Valencia County, NM, and characterize
remediation excavation sites for BTEX components
in soil in rural Michigan. One recent application of
the FROG-4000™ occurred at a manufacturing
plant that had high toluene levels in the
wastewater discharge. The FROG-4000™ was
used to trace the wastewater upstream through the
manufacturing process to find the source of the
toluene, which turned out to be in a water-based,
wood-finish product that contained high levels of
the VOC. Several universities are considering
FROG-4000™ use in food and plant applications,
including in viticulture and oenology.
Company History
Defiant Technologies, based in Albuquerque, NM,
was founded in 2005 to incorporate micro-
fabricated components into chemical detection
equipment. The company has developed several
systems that analyze liquid, soil or gas samples to
determine the concentration of chemicals in the
environment. The technology was originally
developed for detecting chemical warfare agents,
but Defiant Technologies extended its applications to
include toxic industrial chemicals and environmental
pollutants. All the systems—FROG 4000™, CANARY-3™
and CANARY-0™—are hand-held, portable devices that
provide laboratory capabilities in the field, and offer size,
flexibility and accuracy advantages not available in other
chemical detectors. Defiant Technologies is a full
capability research and development-to-manufacturing
company that handles all production phases, from
micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) manufacturing
and heavy machining to electronics and software design.
The company now employees a dozen mechanical,
electrical, software and chemical engineers, and
technicians supported by marketing and administrative
personnel. During the past 8 years, Defiant Technologies
has established a robust infrastructure that includes
efficient operational processes and an accounting system
appropriate for government contracts.
SBIR Impact
Defiant Technologies developed the FROG-4000™,
a hand-held, portable gas chromatography instrument to detect
and analyze VOCs in water, soil and air in near real time for pennies
per sample.
¦ The FROG-4000™ reduces the cost and time for analysis, allowing the
margins of a contaminate plume to be more accurately defined, and
facilitating more effective application of in situ remediation products or
removal of less material at an excavation site. This means less time onsite
with expensive heavy equipment and crews.
I The FROG-4000™ chemical detector is available via direct sales
throughout the United States and through international distributors
for the worldwide market.
¦ Defiant Technologies has developed
multiple, hand-held detection systems to
provide laboratory analysis capabilities
in the field.
EPA SBIR Success Stories

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