title: Detection of chemical agents in the atmosphere by open-path FT-IR spectroscopy under conditions of background interference: I. High-frequency flashes.
abstract: Open-path FT-IR spectra were measured while fireworks were emitting smoke and incandescent particles into the infrared beam. These conditions were designed to simulate the appearance of smoke and explosions in a battlefield. Diethyl ether was used to simulate the vapor-phase spectra of G agents such as sarin. The measured interferograms were corrected by a high-pass filter and were rejected when interfering features were of such high frequency that they could not be removed by application of this filter. The concentration of diethyl ether was calculated correctly by partial least squares regression in the absence of fireworks but significant errors were encountered when the spectra of the oxide particles were not included in the calibration set. Target factor analysis allowed the presence of the analyte to be detected even when the incandescent particles were present in the beam.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
authors.forename: Limin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Roske
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Griffiths
mesh_terms: D001272:Atmosphere / Q000032:analysis*; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D004986:Ether / Q000032:analysis; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
chemical_list: D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D004986:Ether