FIGHTING TERRORISM
IN THE LAB
COSAM chemist works to minimize
detrimental effects of radioactive
materials
giving the user visual indicators of the presence of
radioactive material, we can help limit the spread of
contamination and also help protect personnel.”
A rise in global terrorism in past decades has
led to increased preparedness by first responders,
especially with respect to the threat of radiologic
terrorism. A terrorist attack involving radioactive
materials, or any radiation accident for that
matter, requires first responders to quickly and
efficiently detect and identify harmful agents.
Experts are consistently inventing new and better
methods of detection, and on the front line of this
effort is Anne Gorden, associate professor in the
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Current radiation analysis techniques require a
Geiger counter, expensive equipment, and user
expertise. Gorden’s chemosensor, on the other hand,
will be inexpensive to produce, easy to carry and use
in the field, and require very little user training.
Gorden is developing chemosensors for first
response detection of heavy metals such as
uranium, neptunium, and plutonium. The word,
“chemosensory” refers to the ability to detect a
chemical using one of the five senses. Radiation is
odorless and cannot be seen. Gorden is hoping to
change that. She is developing a new method of
detection that will make radioactive materials both
more visible and colorful.
“Currently, every first responder is not able to carry
a radiation detector,” said Gorden. “We imagine
our process will be as simple as testing the pH and
chlorine values in a swimming pool.”
Gorden’s research is supported by a $450,000,
three-year grant from the Defense Threat
Reduction Agency. Her research group is comprised
of four graduate students and six undergraduate
students. She is also working with colleague
Chris Easley, the C. Harry Knowles Professor, to
incorporate her chemosensor into a microfluidic
method for rapid radiation screening. For more
information on Gorden, visit her website at http://
www.auburn.edu/cosam/gorden.
“We are making organic
compounds using colorimetric
or fluorescent sensors that
will selectively bind to metal
and present a color result
that can be associated with a
specific metal,” said Gorden.
“The results will be fast and
tell you exactly what kind of
metal is present.”
According to a 2015 *study conducted by the
Department of Homeland Security, a primary
drawback of the most popular methods used for
detecting radioactive material is an inability to
differentiate between types of radioactive metals.
“Different materials are cleaned up in different
ways,” said Gorden, “so knowing, immediately,
what kind of radiation you are dealing with, by
38
Journey/Fall: 2015
*The study, “Neutron-Detecting Personal Radiation
detectors and Spectroscopic PRDs Market Survey
Report,” was published in February 2015.