Bomb Detection Devices

When detonated in strategic, population-dense, or confined spaces, bombs are especially

destructive. For example, a bomb planted by political terrorists in a suitcase was
responsible for the explosion of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, on
December 21, 1988, that claimed 270 lives. Given the devastation that bombs can cause,
and the risk they pose to national security, the detection of bombs is a important priority
in airports and elsewhere.

Despite the fact that x-ray examination may not detect some bombs, the technique is still
a mainstay in bomb detection. For example, x-rays are the best way to reveal the presence
in luggage of suspicious shapes. Plastic explosives can be molded to resemble common
objects. Also, explosives are not metallic, and so will escape metal detection. A well-
trained operator is a key part of this bomb detection strategy. A newer version of the x-ray
examination places a reflector on the opposite side of an object from the x-ray beam. As
the rays are scattered back, they are analyzed by a sophisticated computer program,
which can reveal differences in the outgoing and incoming beams that were caused by
passage of the beams through suspicious material.

Another version of the x-ray dual energy technology sends two x-ray beams through the
object at the same time. One of the beams distinguishes organic material (i.e., food,
leather objects, paper) and displays them as red. The other beam distinguishes inorganic
objects (i.e., metal clips, umbrella, metal pens) as green or blue. The color difference
helps the operator quickly scan packages and baggage for object that are suspicious by
their shape or chemistry. A similar method, which uses radio waves instead of x-rays, is
called quadrupole resonance technology.

Another optical device is computer tomography, a technique that has been adapted from
the CAT scan xray technology used in the medical operating room. In
A dust sample is taken from a laptop computer and the particles analyzed for explosives
residue by a Barringer explosives detection device.
AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS
.

tomography, an object is scanned and then a computer analyzes the x-ray image. If areas
of the package have not been adequately revealed, the x-ray source can be rotated so as to
produce a detailed view of the specific area. In this way packages and baggage can be
examined in great detail.

Some bomb components can leave a scent. Until a few decades ago, specially trained
dogs were a mainstay of bomb detection squads. Specially trained dogs are still used
today to check out packages or locations that are difficult to examine using a machine. A
dog's nose is actually a bit more sensitive than the sensitivity of detection machinery that
is currently available. However, a dog and handler costs approximately $50,000 a year,
whereas a piece of detection equipment represents a one-time cost of $20,000 to $40,000.
Thus, machines are becoming more prevalent.

One such technology utilizes gas chromatography and a property called

chemiluminescence. In gas chromatography, chemicals of different composition can be
separated from each other based on their differing speeds in a stream of gas (selection of
the gas can determine the rate of movement of different compounds). A compound in the
gas, which will then glow, will recognize an isolated compound that has a certain
chemical group in its structure. The glowing (chemiluminescence) registers on an optical
detector, revealing the presence of the explosive chemical.

Devices known as sniffers detect vapor given off by certain explosives. Chemicals such
as nitroglycerin are readily detected. But, a sniffer can miss explosives such as plastic
explosives that do not readily vaporize. Thus, a sniffer should be used only as part of a
bomb detection regimen that involves other detection techniques.
Another device detects chemicals present in bombs by concentrating the air collected
from a target location. The air is drawn through a filter, where explosive chemicals
collect, due to their tendency to be heavier than the air molecules around them. The filter
is analyzed using ion mobility spectrometry

The spectrometric technique is very sensitive. Less than a nanogram (109 of a gram) of
explosives residue can be detected. To put this into perspective, a fingerprint on a luggage
handle left by someone had been handling explosives will typically contain 100,000
times more of the residue.

█ FURTHER READING:
BOOKS:

Green, Michael. Bomb Detection Squads. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press, 1998.

Shubert, Hiltmar, Andre Kuznetsov, and Audrey Kuznetsov. Detection of Explosives and
Landmines. Hingham, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2002.

Yinon, Jehuda. Forensic and Environmental Detection of Explosives. New York: John
Wiley & Sons, 1999.

ELECTRONIC:

Sandia National Laboratories. "Miniaturization of chemical preconcentrators brings better

bomb-detecting and drug-sniffing devices." Sandia Lab News. August 13,1999.
http://www.sandia.gov/LabNews/LN08–13-99/sniffer_story.html(21 January 2003).