Seacoast Science, Inc.

The Drive to Improve Agricultural Output in America Has Led to Many Technological Advancements in Farming Machinery, Fertilizers, and Precision Agriculture. Over the Past Century, These Innovations Have Helped American Farms Produce the Goods Necessary to Sustain the NATION'S Population Growth and Consumption Demands and Have Also Allowed American Agriculture to Become More Competitive on the Global Market. However, as the Yields of American Agriculture Have Increased, So Too Has Agricultural Waste and Pollution. Today, Chemicals Released From Agricultural Waste Are a Major Contributor to Air and Water Pollution, Both Domestically and Globally. in Addition, the High Pollution Density Associated With Many of These Agricultural Enterprises Compounded by Their Copious Use of Industrial Strength Cleaning Agents, Has Raised Awareness of the Potential Long and Short-term Hazards.ammonia Gas, in Particular, Is One of the Principal Pollutants Threatening Air and Water Quality. Arising From Various Sources of Agricultural and Industrial Waste, Ammonia Vapors Pose a Significant Hazard to Human Health, Livestock, Crops, and the Environment at Large. Ammonia Is a Colorless Gas With a Strong Pungent Odor and Is Typically Introduced Into the Environment From Improper Waste Management, Fertilizer Overuse, or Run-off From Industrial Strength Cleaning Agents That Are Used in Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Residential Settings. While the Severity of Health Effects Depends Largely on the Dose, Duration, and Exposure Routes, Even Contact With a Small Amount of Ammonia Gas Can Have Serious Effects.when Ammonia Enters the Body as a Result of Inhalation, Ingestion, or Skin Contact (or Simply in the Presence of Water), Ammonia Can Convert to Ammonium Hydroxide, Which Is Strongly Corrosive and Toxic. in Particular, the Lung Tissue of Both Humans and Livestock Is Especially Susceptible to Ammonia Gas and Its Derivatives. Symptoms Ranging From Burning of the Nostrils, Eyes, and Respiratory Tract Are Among the Milder Indicators of Ammonia Poisoning. Exposure to Larger Amounts of Ammonia Gas Can Be Considered a Chemical Emergency as Overexposure Can Cause Blindness and Permanent Lung Damage. as a Result, Osha Has Set a 50 PPM Limit for Ammonia Exposure Over an 8-HOUR Work Day and the Epa Considers 300 PPM Exposure to Be Immediately Threatening to Human Life.on Account of the Wide Array of Agricultural and Industrial Settings, There Is Notable Diversity in How Ammonia Vapor Pollution Is Generated, Diffuses, and Accumulates. Detailed Monitoring of This Gas-phase Pollutant Is Needed to Help Mitigate the Threats Posed by Its Introduction Into Our Environment and Exposure to Living Organisms. New and Improved Chemical Detection Technologies Are Also Needed to Simplify and Improve the Ability to Actively and Accurately Monitor Ammonia Vapor as It Diffuses. Unfortunately, TODAY'S Commercially Available Ammonia Gas Detectors Are Inadequate, as They Rely on Expensive, Antiquated Technology, Lack the Capacity to Remotely Monitor and Wirelessly Report Real-time Measurements of Ammonia Levels (i.e. Intensity, Duration, Location, and Cumulative Load), and Are Not Sufficiently User-friendly to Be Reasonably Operated by Non-technical Personnel. Moreover, Despite the Known Advantages of Wireless Connectivity, Most Ammonia Detectors Are Not Equipped With the Ability to Be Connected in a Multi-detector Wireless Detection Network. This Limitation Means That It Is Difficult to Gain an Accurate Real-time Topographical Assessment of Ammonia Pollution as It Diffuses Across 3-DIMENSIONAL Landscapes. as a Result, the True Output of Ammonia Pollution Is Frequently Underestimated, and the Sources Are More Difficult to Pinpoint. Due to the Potential for Harm From Air Pollutants Such as Ammonia, the Usda Has Identified the Need for Improved Detection Technologies to Help Improve Air Quality.in View of This Stated Need, Seacoast Science, Inc. Proposes the Development of a Low-cost, Portable, Gas-phase Ammonia Detector. Seacoast Will Leverage a Novel Class of Ammonia-sensitive Polymers to Develop an Ammonia Vapor Detector That Can Be Integrated Into a Low-cost, Battery Powered Device With Advanced Real-time Monitoring and Wireless Networking Features. This Device Will Monitor and Quantify the Intensity and Duration of Gas-phase Ammonia in Real-time, Maintain a Record of the Cumulative Vapor Load, and Wirelessly Transmit This Data to a Personal Computing Device for Analysis via Software That Can Be Operated With Minimal User Training. These Features Will Allow Each Sensor to Function as a Node in a Wireless Ammonia Detection Network to Accurately Monitor Ammonia Vapor in Real-time Across a Diverse Array of 3-DIMENSIONAL Spatial Configurations. in Addition, This Device Will Feature an Inexpensive, Semi-disposable Sensing Element, Strategically Designed to Be Replaced Periodically; Ensuring High Operational Performance Is Maintained While Extending Device Lifetime. SEACOAST'S Proposed Ammonia Detector Will Fill the Current Void in Detection Capabilities by Offering a Low-cost, Robust, and Versatile Solution to Accurately Monitor Ammonia Pollution Across a Wide Span of Agricultural, Industrial, and Residential Settings.