If something more than spring is in the New York air, we might not be able to detect it. According to a Washington Post article earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security has thrown in the towel on a pilot program aimed at detecting biological attacks in subways.
The latest incarnation of sensors in the BioWatch program—which monitors the air of 30 U.S. cities for threats such as anthrax or plague bacteria—fell victim to a lack of technology and resources, according to the report. The program’s original sensors, which must be collected and tested by hand with a 30- to 36-hour turnaround on results, are considered too cumbersome for early warning.
The newer models, installed in New York in 2007, held more promise, collecting information hourly and transmitting negative results immediately, the article stated. Those sensors, manufactured by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, began having problems several months ago, though, according to the article.
Although a Lawrence Livermore spokesman said the lab believes it’s found a “technical solution” to the malfunction, DHS will begin testing a third generation of the sensor, expected to be deployed in 2012, according to the Post article.
Jolie Breeden is the lead editor and science communicator for Natural Hazards Center publications. She writes and edits for Research Counts; the Quick Response, Mitigation Matters, Public Health, and Weather Ready Research Award report series; as well as for special projects and publications. Breeden graduated summa cum laude from the University of Colorado Boulder with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.