Field demonstration of portable vapor sampling in a simulated cargo container

Where are you hiding the pangolins? screening tools to detect illicit contraband at international borders and their adaptability for illegal wildlife trafficking

The illegal movement of wildlife poses a public health, conservation and biosecurity threat, however there are currently minimal screening tools available at international ports of entry to intercept wildlife trafficking efforts. This review first aimed to explore the screening tools available or under development for the detection of concealed wildlife contraband at international ports, including postal services, airlines, road border crossings and maritime routes. Where evidence was deficient, publications detailing the use of methods to uncover other illicit substances, such as narcotics, weapons, human trafficking, explosives, radioactive materials, or special nuclear material, were compiled and assessed for their applicability to the detection of wildlife. The first search identified only four citations related to the detection of wildlife, however the secondary search revealed 145 publications, including 59 journal articles and 86 conference proceedings, describing screening tools for non-wildlife illicit contraband detection. The screening tools uncovered were analysed for potential fitness for purpose for wildlife contraband detection, to evaluate the feasibility of their implementation and their ease of use. The deficiencies evident in terms of resource availability and research efforts targeting wildlife trafficking highlights a potentially substantial national and international security threat which must be addressed.

Application of Porous Layer Open Tubular Columns: Beyond Permanent Gases

Porous layer open tubular (PLOT) columns are traditionally built with particles that are adhered to the tubing walls. These columns have unique selectivity and provide a great alternative when gaseous samples need to be separated, but these columns also have been used to separate higher boiling point analytes. There are many different commercially available stationary phases of PLOT columns, including alumina-based columns, molecular sieves, and porous polymers. Alumina-based columns have an aluminum oxide stationary phase that is then deactivated with different salts. These columns have high capacity, superior loading ability, and produce symmetrical peaks. Molecular sieve columns are designed specifically for permanent gas separations because the columns have high retention. Porous polymer columns are highly hydrophobic, making them more applicable to analyzing a wider range of samples.

Preservation of vapor samples on adsorbent alumina capillaries and implications for field sampling

Dynamic vapor microextraction (DVME) is a vapor preconcentration method that employs a capillary trap coated with an adsorbent, followed by solvent elution to recover the sample. DVME has been developed for applications in the laboratory, including highly precise vapor pressure measurements, and in the field. When vapor collection is conducted outside the laboratory, samples must almost always undergo some interval of storage representing the time between collection and analysis. This interval may be hours, days, or longer, depending on the situation. Regardless, in all situations there must be confidence that the integrity of the samples is maintained until processing and analysis. In this paper, we present results of two studies that tested the stability of a 50% weathered gasoline headspace sample on alumina PLOT (porous layer open tubular) capillaries stored at room temperature for periods from 24 h up to 20 wk. We used principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce the dimensionality of the chromatographic and mass spectral data and elucidate trends in stability with respect to the complex sample's range of hydrocarbon classes and molecular weights. Both analyses identified changes over storage periods of six weeks or more. The hydrocarbon class analysis, which used selected ion monitoring (SIM) data as input, proved more sensitive to changes over shorter storage periods. Sample integrity was preserved for at least 24 h, but losses, especially of high-volatility compounds, occurred by 168 h (7 d). Near total loss of sample occurred by 20 wk. These findings, which are specific to the sample, adsorbent, and storage conditions, will guide choices in experimental and instrumental design to ensure that data from future field studies is reliable.