title: Fabrication and optimization of a conducting polymer sensor array using stored grain model volatiles.
abstract: During storage, grain can experience significant degradation in quality due to a variety of physical, chemical, and biological interactions. Most commonly, these losses are associated with insects or fungi. Continuous monitoring and an ability to differentiate between sources of spoilage are critical for rapid and effective intervention to minimize deterioration or losses. Therefore, there is a keen interest in developing a straightforward, cost-effective, and efficient method for monitoring of stored grain. Sensor arrays are currently used for classifying liquors, perfumes, and the quality of food products by mimicking the mammalian olfactory system. The use of this technology for monitoring of stored grain and identification of the source of spoilage is a new application, which has the potential for broad impact. The main focus of the work described herein is on the fabrication and optimization of a carbon black (CB) polymer sensor array to monitor stored grain model volatiles associated with insect secretions (benzene derivatives) and fungi (aliphatic hydrocarbon derivatives). Various methods of statistical analysis (RSD, PCA, LDA, t test) were used to select polymers for the array that were optimum for distinguishing between important compound classes (quinones, alcohols) and to minimize the sensitivity for other parameters such as humidity. The performance of the developed sensor array was satisfactory to demonstrate identification and separation of stored grain model volatiles at ambient conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
authors.forename: Md Eftekhar
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.forename: G M Aminur
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Freund
authors.forename: Digvir S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Jayas
authors.forename: Noel D G
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Cyrus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shafai
authors.forename: Douglas J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Thomson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D061353:Food Storage; D005658:Fungi / Q000378:metabolism*; D007313:Insecta / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds