Media Contact: Carolyn Krause Communications and Media Relations
Warfare Agent Mass Spectrometer Being Built at ORNL OAK RIDGE,
Tenn., June 16, 1998 A chemical-biological mass spectrometer
(CBMS) that will more accurately detect deadly chemical and
biological warfare agents and warn soldiers to wear protective
gear or to avoid contaminated areas is being developed at the
Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for
the U.S. Army Chemical and Biological Defense Command (CBDCOM).
The new instrument, which is expected to be produced in 2001 for
military use, could also be modified for valuable civilian
applications. It could map environmental pollutants, rapidly
identify bacteria in hospitals, ensure that processed food is
free of bacterial contamination, and identify hazardous
materials from industrial accidents and terrorist attacks.
During the Persian Gulf War, many false alarms were sounded by
detectors used to determine if U.S.-led coalition forces were
being exposed to Iraqi chemical war