Explosives by Dogs

Aspects of Esqilosives Detection M. Marshall and J.C. Oxley (Editors) 

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I. Gazit and J. Terkel, Domination of olfaction over vision in explosives detection by dogs , Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 82 (2003) 65—73. 

Because of the use of TATP by terrorists, a rehable and fast detection of this material is desirable. In addition to conventional analytical methods such as mass spectrometry and UV (ultra violet) spectroscopy specially trained explosive detection dogs (FDD) play an important role in the detection of organic peroxides. Although the high vapor pressure helps the dogs to detect the material, it is also a disadvantage because of the limited time-span in which the dog is able to find it (traces may sublime and disappear forever). Matrices in which the compounds can... 

Dogs that can detect narcotics or explosives are in high demand by law enforcement agencies. What chemistry do these dogs know that enables them to reliably aid police in apprehending criminals ... 

The selectivity inherent to TNT detection by amplified fluorescent polymers, as described in Section 4, helps to rriinirriize false-positives in land mine detection. These sensor devices respond only to nitroaromatics and similarly small, electron-deficient analytes, which are found typically only in or close to explosives and explosive devices. Field-tests to date have demonstrated that these devices are at least as reliable as trained dogs in detecting explosives that contain nitroaromatics. There is still uncertainty concerning what chemical that dogs actually detect when searching for explosives [17]. This... 

Mammals Perhaps because we have a long history of domesticating mammals for various tasks, the preponderance of explosive search to date has been by mammals, mostly dogs [6, pp. 165-174], though some work has been done using rats [6, pp. 175-193] and pigs [7], There have been two principal approaches used, which may be characterized as direct and indirect search. These techniques are discussed in detail in McLean [6],... 

This volume can best be understood by considering the olfactory senses of animals. Everyone has witnessed the ability of a dog to use its nose with its superb olfactory sense to detect trace odors. A holy grail of detection science has been to duplicate a dog s nose electronically. Dr. Woodfin s volume tries to assess where the scientific community stands in its search for this holy grail. The authors of this volume are using this chemical sensing approach to detect explosives. Explosives, as used in this context, are defined as materials that concentrate releasable energy controllable or uncontrollable. 

Chapter 7, Explosive Detection Using Ultrasensitive Electronic Vapor Sensors Field Experience, applies some of the concepts of the preceding chapters by describing system development work in field conditions. It describes some surprising head-to-head comparisons between dogs and electronic sensors. 

Environmental Considerations. The principal environmental problem is the prevention of particulate dust emission, which can be handled by cloth filtration equipment. Filtration of taphole fumes consisting of submicrometer particles, which rapidly dog the filtration media, is both difficult and expensive. Dust collectors operating at low air to cloth ratios are required. Dust created in material handling equipment is of relatively large particle size and easily handled by doth filtration. Treatment of the furnace CO gas stream is complicated by the high temperature of the gas, its explosiveness, toxicity, dust concentration, and partide size. 

The canine community often observes, with disdain, that there is no such thing as waste at an explosive manufacturing plant whatever is left over from one batch almost always ends up in the next. This introduces impurities and heterogeneity into the explosives, something which is welcomed by the trace analyst in the forensic laboratory but despised by experienced trainers wishing to imprint the optimum range of explosive odors on the dogs. 

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