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Chemicals/chemicals - smoke detector.

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Expert: - 10/16/2006


Question
Dear Henry,

I actually have read a lot of information about smoke detector, and try to find an information the possibility of using smoke detector to detect any chemicals.

Besides smokes or dusk, I wonder if do you know any environmentally chemicals that may trigger smoke detector?

Thank you very much.

Best regards,
Anies

NB: I am a PhD student working at Pheromone Communication in a Robot Swarm.

Answer
Chemical vapors will set them off.  A university dorm I know kept having alarms during the day.  They finally traced it to cleaning staff filling their mop buckets with hot water and ammonia type products.  They would move them into the halls, every once in a while under a smoke detector.  The steam, chemical vapors, or both would set them off.

People are already working on this idea.

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/nasa_to_develop_biohazard_smoke_detector

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=18657

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Henry Boyter

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Experience in the area
Chemistry (non-biochemistry), environmental science, occupational health and safety, environmental regulation and management, environmental engineering, and wastewater engineering. I'm the Director of Environmental, Health, and Safety and the Director of Research at the Institute of Textile Technology.

Experience

Chemistry (non-biochemistry), environmental science, occupational health and safety, environmental regulation and management, environmental engineering, and wastewater engineering. I'm the Director of Environmental, Health, and Safety and the Director of Research at the Institute of Textile Technology.

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