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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Assessment Of Submerged Vegetation As Indicators Of Irgarol Contamination, Melissa V. Fernandez Sep 2010

Assessment Of Submerged Vegetation As Indicators Of Irgarol Contamination, Melissa V. Fernandez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Irgarol 1051 is a common antifoulant toxic to certain marine organisms. Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) are exposed to this herbicide when it leaches into the marine environment from painted structures, making SAVs ideal candidates to function as sentinel indicator of contamination. In the initial stage of this study, Coconut Grove and Key Largo Harbor were assessed for environmental exposure to Irgarol. Water, sediment and SAVs were collected, the latter two subject to automated solid phase extraction, and all samples analyzed by GC/MS-SIM for Irgarol and its metabolite, M1. Of the vegetation analyzed, Halodule and Syringodium had the highest capacity to …


The Construction And Optimization On An Ion Mobility Spectrometer For The Analysis Of Explosives And Drugs, Hanh Tuyet Lai Feb 2010

The Construction And Optimization On An Ion Mobility Spectrometer For The Analysis Of Explosives And Drugs, Hanh Tuyet Lai

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today, over 15,000 Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) analyzers are employed at worldwide security checkpoints to detect explosives and illicit drugs. Current portal IMS instruments and other electronic nose technologies detect explosives and drugs by analyzing samples containing the headspace air and loose particles residing on a surface. Canines can outperform these systems at sampling and detecting the low vapor pressure explosives and drugs, such as RDX, PETN, cocaine, and MDMA, because these biological detectors target the volatile signature compounds available in the headspace rather than the non-volatile parent compounds of explosives and drugs. In this dissertation research volatile signature compounds …