*** 96-61340 Micheels This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Project will develop a novel portable and low cost nitrogen dioxide gas monitor for air quality testing and leak detection. The monitor is based on photo-acoustic detection and incorporates recent advances in electro-optics to provide a practical, high sensitivity, portable detection device. This nitrogen dioxide gas sensor is expected to have much improved detection sensitivity, shorter response time, lower maintenance, and little or no chemical interference. Phase I will build a prototype instrument and subject it to critical tests to evaluate its performance for trace atmospheric nitrogen dioxide monitoring. Such monitoring is of great importance in urban areas where nitrogen dioxide produced from fossil fuel combustion results in serious human health hazards. This high sensitivity, portable monitor will find commercial applications: a) in air quality monitoring in urban areas that have air pollution problems, and b) in leak detection and industrial hygiene in chemical process plants that use or produce nitrogen dioxide in their operations. ***
