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A cost effective hydrogel test kit for pre and post blast trinitrotoluene
Aree Choodum1, Khanitta Malathong2, Niamh NicDaeid3
1Applied Chemistry and Environmental Technology Research Center, Andaman Environmental Research and Innovation Center, Faculty of Technology and Environment, Prince of Songkla University, Phuket Campus, Kathu, Phuket 83120, Thailand.
Forensic Science International
|June 18, 2016
Summary
A novel hydrogel test kit offers a cost-effective method for detecting trinitrotoluene (TNT) explosives. This portable kit, combined with smartphone imaging, enables rapid, on-site quantitative analysis of TNT in various samples.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a common explosive requiring sensitive detection methods.
- Existing TNT detection methods can be costly and time-consuming.
- Development of portable, cost-effective field detection tools is crucial for security and environmental monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a cost-effective hydrogel test kit for the quantitative detection of TNT.
- To integrate the test kit with digital image colorimetry (DIC) using a smartphone for rapid analysis.
- To assess the field applicability of the developed test kit for explosive residue analysis.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel matrix containing a potassium hydroxide (KOH) colorimetric reagent.
- Utilization of a smartphone camera for capturing digital images of colorimetric reactions with TNT standards.
- Application of Red-Green-Blue (RGB) color data for quantitative analysis and calibration graph generation.
- Validation of the method using inter-day precision, accuracy, and comparison with spectrophotometric analysis.
Main Results:
- The hydrogel test kit demonstrated excellent inter-day precision (0.12-3.60% RSD) and accuracy (93-108% relative accuracy).
- Analysis of post-blast soil samples showed good agreement with spectrophotometric methods.
- The test kits exhibited good stability after 3 months of freezer storage and reusability up to 12 times with minimal deviation.
- Successful application in detecting TNT at a real-world bombing site confirmed its operational field utility.
Conclusions:
- A cost-effective and portable hydrogel test kit for TNT detection has been successfully developed.
- Smartphone-based digital image colorimetry provides a rapid and quantitative method for TNT analysis.
- The developed test kit is suitable for operational field application in explosive residue detection.