Jack and I have a hearty technical program planned at #ACSsanfran in August 2014. We will be presenting work in five technical divisions of the American Chemical Society including: ANYL, SCHB, AGFD, ENVR, and ENFL. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.
Learn more about the meeting here.
Sunday Morning August 10, 2014
ACS DIVISION OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ANYL ORAL SESSION: Advances in Separation Full Day Session
Abstract Body: The EPA has recently reduced the action level for lead in drinking water from 25 ppb to 15 ppb. Since Pb+4 forms a stable hydride that has an ionization potential of >10 eV, it can be detected using a photoionization detector (PID) with a lamp energy of 10.6 eV. We have shown previously (1) that hydride generation PID can be used to detect arsenic in well water at sub ppb levels. We have modified that method by using H2O2 to oxidize any Pb+2 to Pb+4. We are now able to detect total Pb in water down to 1 ppb. The hydride generation minimizes any sample preparation, the new PID improves the detection limit by 3-10 fold, and the GC is used to separate the PbH4from other metal hydrides and their organic counterparts.
Driscoll, JN et, al, “Detection of As in VT Well Water by HG/GC/PID", ACS Meeting in NOLA, April 2013
SCHB at SCI-MIX Monday August 11, 2014 8pm
Title: ACS Entrepreneurial Resource Center Showcase East: Guide to a successful entrepreneurial event
Presenting author: Jennifer Maclachlan
Abstract Body: The mission of the ACS Entrepreneurial Resource Center is "to advance chemical entrepreneurs and provide resources to members with a practical business plan and/or start-ups." The Showcase East Organizing Committee asked me to join and help organize this event. My expertise was augmented by the resources of and support from the ACS Division of Small Chemical Businesses (SCHB), Northeastern Local Section (NESACS), and Committee on Public Relations and Communications (CPRC). This poster illustrates the success of the ACS Entrepreneurial Resource Center Showcase East event, which occurred April 9, 2014 in Waltham, MA and emphasizes the importance of a truly collaborative team with clear and consistent channels of communication, goals, and distribution of tasks. The ACS Entrepreneurial Resource Center Showcase West event will take place on August 14, 2014, at the ACS 248th national meeting in San Francisco.
SCHB at SCI-MIX Monday August 11, 2014 8pm
Title: SCHB offers networking opportunities and benefits for small chemical businesses
Abstract Body: In our thirty-fourth year, our mission remains the same: to aid in the formation, development and growth of small chemical businesses. We do this by continuously providing relevant programming and social events at ACS national and regional meetings for attendees who currently own and operate their own small chemical businesses as well as for those who are considering it. In 2012, SCHB began entrepreneurial programming with the Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPACS), Northeastern (NESACS), and Georgia Local Sections. In 2013, with the assistance of an ACS IPG, SCHB arranged programming at other scientific society meetings, including AAAS, APS, and CLEO. In 2014, in collaboration with PROF, we hosted networking lunches for our speakers, member, and other interested persons. In 2015, SCHB will sponsor several symposia at Pacifichem. At this 2014 San Francisco meeting, SCHB invites you to attend our technical sessions, meet old friends and new connections at our reception, visit our expo booth and "discuss businesses," and join us for lunch. After the meeting, stay in touch with SCHB member via Linked-In, Facebook, Twitter and on the ACS Network.
TUESDAY MORNING AUGUST 12, 2014 10:20am-10:50am
ACS DIVISION OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY GENERAL ORAL SESSION AGFD
Title: New analytical method for low level detection of arsenic in food and beverages
Presenting author: Jack Driscoll
Abstract Body: Since As+3 and As+5 form stable hydrides that have ionization potentials of 10.5 eV, it can be detected using a photoionization detector that has a lamp energy of 10.6 eV. Photoionization has been coupled to hydride generation and shown to be a very sensitive technique by a number of researchers to determine arsenic in natural waters at low or sub ppb concentrations. The disadvantage of this technique is that it uses a liquid nitrogen trap to concentrate the arsine.
We have modified that method by eliminating the liquid nitrogen and using a new PID that improves the detection limit by up to 10 fold. We can detect arsenic down to 0.1 ppb. We have applied this method to the analysis of water, juices and rice.
The hydride generation minimizes any sample preparation, and the GC is used to separate arsenic from other metal hydrides and their organic counterparts.
TUESDAY Afternoon August 12, 2014
ACS DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY
SESSION: Evolving Science and Environmental Impacts of
Hydraulic Fracturing
D. Drogos, Organizer; T. Barton, Organizer; D. Drogos, Presiding Papers 377-384
ENVR-Presidential Symposia
Title: Environmental and process measurements in fracking operations with a portable gas chromatograph
Presenting author: Jack Driscoll
Abstract Body: The use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracking of shale has catapulted the US into one of the leading producers of natural gas in 2012. The producers are interested in the natural gas composition (C1 to C6 hydrocarbon and BTU content). Local Environmental Agencies will be concerned with leakage of methane from the fracking operation both from a reduction in the O2 level where employees work or a large leakage of a potential greenhouse gas during production. Another application involves the investigation of contamination of methane in local water supplies or streams. Data will be presented utilizing the PID Analyzers Model 312 portable gas chromatograph (GC) configured with a flame ionization detector (FID) that will detect hydrocarbons from ppm to percent levels. A dual column system is used for the various fracking applications described above. The portable GC has an embedded PC with PeakWorksTM software for GC control and peak integration. The internal battery and the pressurized cylinder will allow the GC to operate for 8-10 hours. This flexible and sensitive field portable GC is ideal for monitoring environmental concerns associated with fracking operations.
Tuesday afternoon August 12, 2014 1:30pm
ENFL Session Advances in analytical methods for petroleum upstream applications*
*We were invited to give this talk
Presenting author: Jennifer Maclachlan
Abstract Body: There are occupational and environmental health and safety issues related to petroleum upstream applications such as those associated with hydraulic fracking including chemical exposure of workers during hydraulic fracturing operations as well as the wastewater, methane leaks from fractures in the shale and leaks into the ecosystem including but not limited to groundwater, marshes, drinking water. In this paper, we will illustrate how our analyzers can achieve the following applications: methane in air, methane leaks from the shale, methane in water using a static headspace method, hydrocarbon contaminants in the hydraulically pumped water, arsenic in the water since this is a common pollutant in shale and the 20th most common element in the earth's crust and product analysis: the BTU content of the gas needs to be determined. We will discuss the analytical methods and various in-field instrumentation for monitoring these problems utilizing our portable GC-FID, our low cost hand-held FID which is ideal for leak detection and our R&D100 award winning arsenic in water analyzer. A modification of our portable gas chromatograph configuration results in a technique for measuring the product gases produced by fracking. An analytical method for each of the methane applications as well as the arsenic in water application will be described.
ENVR POSTER SESSION: Wednesday evening August 13, 2014 6pm
California Air Monitoring: From Inception to
Current Trends in the New Millennium
J. Maclachlan, Organizer; J. Driscoll, Organizer; J. Maclachlan, Presiding
Papers 586-587
Abstract Body: One of the most serious contamination problems in LA in the early 2000's was leaking from underground gasoline storage tanks. At high levels of VOC's (thousands of ppm), the pump and treat effluent can simply be flared. At about 1,000 ppm, it requires too much auxiliary fuel to burn the effluent. A new collection system such as a carbon bed is required. Continuous monitoring is required to determine when breakthrough of the VOC's occurs. Then, the carbon bed should be changed.
The most popular technique for carbon bed monitoring is photoionization and the instrument includes a programmable setpoint that shuts down the pump allowing the carbon bed to be changed. The application of continuous monitoring instrumentation to soil vapor extraction (SVE) is described as one of the few innovative technologies that has gained wide use for cleaning up contaminated sights.
in time to run my Operational Planning Session for the American Chemical Society Division of Small Chemical Businesses early the next morning. I facilitated the morning sessions which included discussions on how to run a productive meeting and succession planning. Dave Harwell was our facilitator for the afternoon session: Fostering Innovation. These sessions were made possible by an Innovate Project Grant titled Tools for Operational Success (TFOS) that I wrote and was funded by the American Chemical Society Divisional Activities Committee. 
At CPRC, we have the unique opportunity to meet, listen to and have lunch with the Helen M. Free Award Winner. The 2014 recipient of the Helen M. Free Award for Public Outreach is Susan Olesick. Learn more about Susan's W.O.W. outreach program which her then elementary school-aged daughter inspired her to start.
