Technology has made societal life better in many ways including the electronic nose (e-nose) which has benefited society through its applications in areas of agriculture, homeland security, industry, medicine and even the military (University of California-Riverside, 2012). Fundamentally, the e-nose is a tool developed in the field of biomimetics and made up of multiple electronic sensors which detects specific components of flavors and odors and analyzes their chemical makeup for precise identification. Deininger & Males (2001, p. 141) indicate that there are many forms of electronic noses including the Cyranose 320, FOX and Vapor Lab among others with applications in general identification and monitoring of varied substances in water. From a health and security standpoint, the tool can help identify any contamination whereby early warnings can ensure that society is not affected while agriculture-wise, the tool can be used to detect levels of pesticide application so as to ensure that plants are not adversely affected by too much or too little. The capabilities of the electric nose also feature security applications with regards to detection of harmful micro-organisms and toxins that can be used in biological warfare which falls under the purview of the military and homeland security.
Wang et al.’s (2009, p.1-2) study confirms this where electronic noses are used in conjunction with personal computers to identify chemical warfare agents that can be a security threat to society. Other related applications include detection of drugs and solvent-based dangerous goods that only serve to cripple society through their use after passing undetected through national borders. In healthcare, the tool is identified by Machado et al. (2005, p.1286) as being able to detect lung cancer through exhaled breath, with added potential of identifying specific lung diseases, among other applications such as early detection of colorectal cancer and adenomas as shown by De Meij et al. (2013). Industrially and environmentally, the e-nose serves to identify gas leaks and other pollutants that can be hazardous to people’s health and the safety of industrial installations. It is acknowledged that the tool has been in use for quality control in the food, cosmetics and beverage industries which is supported by Falasconi et al. (2012, p.1-3) whose study identifies the tool as pivotal in ensuring quality microbiological control of food products is maintained.
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- Deininger, RA & Males, RM 2001, Design of early warning and predictive source-water monitoring systems, Denver, CO: AWWA Research Foundation.
- De Meij TG et al. 2013, “Electronic nose can discriminate colorectal carcinoma and advanced adenomas by fecal volatile biomarker analysis: proof of principle study”, International Journal of Cancer. doi: 0.1002/ijc.28446
- Falasconi, M, et al., 2012, “Electronic nose for microbiological quality control of food products”,
International Journal of Electrochemistry, Article ID 715763, vol. 2012, pp. 1-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/715763 - Machado, RF et al. 2005, “Detection of Lung Cancer by Sensor Array Analyses of Exhaled
Breath”, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Vol. 171, No. 11, pp. 1286-1291. doi: 10.1164/rccm.200409-1184OC - University of California-Riverside, 2012, August 21, “Electronic nose’ prototype developed:
Device has applications in agriculture, industry, homeland security and the military”, Science Daily. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2012/08/120821162526.htm - Wang L, Tang K, Kuo C, et al; “Portable electronic nose system with chemiresistor sensors to
detect and distinguish chemical warfare agents”, Journal of Micro/Nanolithography, MEMS MOEMS. 0001, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 031010-031010-6.
