Author: Jason D. White

Our pilot studies indicate that we can detect TCE and other VOCs in the breath environment that are indicative of neuronal degeneration. Pending studies will investigate the relationship between toxicant exposure and VOCs with known markers of nigrostriatal damage in animal models which can be correlated to VOCs from breath samples of human PD patients.

We have developed preliminary laboratory data for formation of volatile aldehydes produced by oxidatation of amino acids found in ELF exposed to HOCl. Formation of HOCl, via oxidation of chloride ion, is associated with physiological stress and uniquely converts amino acids to aldehydes via the intermediate imine.

Observation of the temporal evolution of the fluorescence following laser excitation of boron monoxide molecules to the B 2Σ+ state is used to extract the radiative lifetime and collisional removal rate constant with N2 as the colliding partner.