Grantee Research Project Results

Inexpensive Formaldehyde Sensor for Indoor Air Quality Application

EPA Contract Number: EPD17029
Title: Inexpensive Formaldehyde Sensor for Indoor Air Quality Application
Investigators: Weber, Andrew
Small Business: Giner Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 2017 through February 28, 2018
Project Amount: $99,998
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2017) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , SBIR - Air and Climate

Description:

Formaldehyde is a reactive and flammable aldehyde which is well known as one of the harmful volatile organic compounds. A combination of respiratory disease, allergic dermatitis and other ailments so called Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is associated with chronic exposure to formaldehyde. Therefore, monitoring for formaldehyde is important in residential buildings. In this Phase I developmental effort Giner, Inc. proposes to design and develop small, hand-held and inexpensive electrochemical microsensors for the accurate, sensitive and rapid (less than 60 seconds) detection of formaldehyde in residential buildings as part a hand-held formaldehyde monitoring instrument. The proposed microsensors will accurately detect and continuously monitor formaldehyde in air concentrations in the range of 0-5 ppm with a resolution of 0.01 ppm. In addition to hand-held operation, the developed microsensors could also be integrated with direct control ventilation (DCV) and Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to address one of the leading causes of energy waste stemming from the constant and sometimes unnecessary need to replace indoor air with outside air to provide clean air to the building inhabitants.

Progress and Final Reports:

Final Report

SBIR Phase II:

Inexpensive Formaldehyde Sensors for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Applications  | Final Report