Sensor Systems for Biological Agent Attacks Protecting Buildings and Military Bases (2005) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
11 Summary of Conlusions and a Path Forward
11 Summary of Conlusions and a Path Forward
Pages 178-186
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 178... ...
nonspecific detectors with a rapid response time and (2) specific identifiers with a somewhat slower response time.
|
From page 179... ...
, and flavin fluorescences that are characteristic of biological materials and uses the time rate of change of the signal to differentiate a rapid biowarfare agent release from the more gradual fluctuations of the natural background. The false alarm rates of these bioaerosol detectors are a function of the detection threshold and the ambient bioaerosol background.
|
From page 180... ...
However, significant improvements in response times, detection thresholds, and false positive rates should be possible. Current response times are limited by the time it takes to transport the antigen to the molecular recognition site and not by the antibody-antigen binding time, which takes seconds or less.
|
From page 181... ...
It can be expected that cell-based detectors will be attacked by naturally occurring, nonpaflhogenic microbes, so removal and replacement will be a critical issue, as will the rate of false positives. Effectiveness of Detection and identification Systems Spectroscopic bioaerosol detectors will be able to detect, but not identify, all biological agents (known or unknown; natural or engineered)
|
From page 182... ...
The Committee then explores the protection of extended military installations from outdoor releases of bioagents and examines how differences in these scenarios lead to modifications in the recommended implementation strategy (Figures 11.1 and 11.2)
|
From page 183... ...
Importantly, even though bioagent concentrations are high in the vicinity of the detector—making detection feasible—subsequent transport losses and filtration will reduce these concentrations by several orders of magnitude before the HVAC system circulates the contaminated air to adjacent moms or air-handling zones. A still more capable system would also make provisions for detecting lower-level attacks that might be used with more infectious agents, or slow-release attacks in which the perpetrator attempts to keep the bioagent concentration below the detection threshold of a simple bioaerosol detector.
|
From page 184... ...
Because of the high cost of the associated detectors and the operational and maintenance costs associated with continuous operations, the above concept leads naturally to a centralized detection architecture in which a detection system is placed in—or samples—the HVAC system of each of the airhandling zones in a facility. The fact that the agent concentration level can be 10-100 times higher in a given room or region than in the air-handling unit also raises the intriguing possibility of a distributed detection system made up of less capable but inexpensive detectors (the biological smoke alarm concept)
|
From page 185... ...
The technology watch list consists of promising technologies that have yet to demonstrate one or more critical features before a clear path emerges for detect-to-wam applications. Most Probable Path The committee finds that protection of buildings and military installations from biological attack requires the careful integration of detection capabilities with response options and procedures.
|
From page 186... ...
Therefore, the committee recommends that the use of laboratory mass spectrometry be investigated to better understand the perfommance of biofingerprinting in complex mixtures of naturally occurring microorganisms and other background contaminants. This should be done with parallel development of improved sample preparation methods The committee finds that the biological smoke alarm concept offers intriguing potential for rapid detection.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.