Sample Harvesting Media Project

The Threat Mitigation Technologies department within the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) provides technical advice and capabilities to a range of operational policing customer groups. One capability is the development of explosives detection capabilities for various operational requirements and infrastructures. As such, a requirement has arisen for a project to further optimise a detection capability by reviewing and testing the sample harvesting media used to interrogate samples within the current in-service, high assurance Trace Explosives Detection (ETD) system. The testing will require demonstrations of efficiencies over the complete detection system based on a triple quad mass spectrometer with a thermal desorption unit front end. This development will include; 1. Literature review, selection and testing of potential sample media. 2. Selection and baselining of two alternative sample media to the current Whatman no. 2 media against MPS defined examples of a nitroester, a nitroaromatic and a nitroamine. Further details on these requirements will be available on request to richard.warren2@met.police.uk Any supplier responding to this opportunity must demonstrate that they have appropriate equipment, expertise and experience to complete this work successfully.