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| Environmental Technology Listing |
Title of Listing: | | H.E.L.P. MATE 2000 |
Category: | | Characterization Technologies |
Subcategory: | * | Water, Waste, Soil, All Listings |
Media: | | Soil, Sludge, Sediment, Water |
Contaminants: | | Petroleum Products |
Web Site: | | |
Email: | | |
Technology Description: | |
H.E.L.P., Inc. manufactures and sells a revolutionary new, portable, reflectance, visible range spectrophotometer which is utilized as a read-out device for the Hanby Field Test Kits. This device utilizes a robust visible range (400-750 nm) interactions between photons and pi bond electrons involved in the Friedel-Crafts/Hanby method. At present, the spectrophotometer (The H.E.L.P. MATE 2000) utilizes a library of calibration tables specific for contaminants of interest. that is, results of Hanby Field Test Kits are read in the instrument according to the calibration substance (gasoline, diesel fuel, transformer oil, etc.) designated by the operator. Software is in development that will allow the instrument to identify the substance or mix of substances involved by comparison to a resident library of spectra in the personal (laptop) computer utilized with the instrument.
The H.E.L.P.MATE 2000 fiber-optically transmits tungsten-halogen light from the source to a cell compartment which holds the test tube from the Hanby test. The reflected light from the test tube is a visible range "signature" of the colors produced by the Friedel-Crafts/Hanby test method. This reflected light which also fiber-optically transmitted is focused on a grating which reflects to a 1024 CCD array essentially achieving .5 nm signal discrimination across the visible spectrum (400-750nm). The signal from the CCD array is transmitted via an A/D modem to the notebook computer where it is displayed by a proprietary software (SpectraScope, OceanOptics, Inc.) An algorithm developed from the SpectraScope software is utilized to display results in mg/Kg (soil) or mg/L (water). Further developments of the software are proceeding utilizing GRAMS 32 and PLSPlus/IQ spectral library to sample for substance identification.
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Performance Status/
Limitations: | |
Performance Status:
In April, 1996 Hanby Environmental Laboratory procedures, Inc. was selected for participation in the Rapid Commercialization Initiative (RCI) because of its introduction of the H.E.L.P.MATE 2000, as a read-out device for the Hanby test kits. Cited as an innovative technology and commercial success because of the widespread utilization of the Hanby Field Test Kits, the H.E.L.P.MATE 2000 fulfilled the premise underlying RCI that, according to the U.S. EPA's publication TECH TRENDS,"...projects selected would represent the best available developed technology from private sector technology developers. To make this determination, a four-step merit review process using equivalent technical and business factors was done by peer reviewers from within and outside the Federal government." The H.E.L.P.MATE 2000 was one of the 10 technologies in the country selected. In August, 1996 H.E.L.P., Inc. was invited to participate in the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission's search for outstanding environmental projects on the basis of its development of the H.E.L.P.MATE 2000 and its participation in RCI.
Limitations:
Hanby Field Test Kits operate on the basis of the very distinct colors produced by petroleum substances which contain at least minor amounts of aromatic, carbonyl, alkyl halide, or other functional groups which participate in Friedel-Crafts alkylation or acylation reactions. Fortunately, this includes all fuels and practically the complete range of technical oils, solvents, and other organics encountered in environmental situations. in the very rare situations where one encounters spills of extremely pure, highly refined alkanes, errors underestimating concentration can be made if the operator is not aware of the substance type. This is easily resolved, however by re-calibration of the sample with the appropriate substance-specific calibration curve in the software which does not involve re-taking or re-analyzing the sample. Another relatively minor error can be introduced when a mixture of different substances is involved. This error can be corrected for again by re-calibration using the more appropriate calibration curve in the software. H.E.L.P., Inc. will provide calibration curves in the software prepared for specific mixtures of various substances upon request.
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Topics
Technologies, Characterization
Additional Topics/Tags/Keywords
Spectrophotometer, Oil, Monitor, Portable |
Organization: | | Hanby Environmental Laboratory Procedures, Inc. (H.E.L.P.) |
Address: | | 501 Sandy Point Road
| Phone: | Description | Number |
City: | | Wimberley | | Primary | (512) 847-1212 |
State/Province/Territory: | | TX | 2. | | |
Zip/Postal Code: | | 78676 | 3. | | |
Country: | | United States | 4. | Fax: | (512) 847-1454 |
Branch Locations: | |
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