our technology

In 1995, Prism Analytical Technologies, Inc. pioneered air scan technology with the development of its proprietary TDT Air Scan® methodology — an industry standard by which Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are identified and quantified.

This technology couples Fourier Transform- Infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) methods to quickly and inexpensively determine hundreds of VOCs. Using a single, multi-matrix sorption tube specifically designed to trap a wide range of polar and non-polar chemical compounds from the air, TDT Air Scan can determine volatile compounds ranging from simple gases to complex organic compounds. In addition to the 400+ compounds identified through TDT Air Scan technology, Prism’s MoldScan™ technology detects actively growing mold by determining Mold VOCs (MVOCs) produced only by active mold growth. Prism is the only laboratory that has been successful in developing this type of technology that determines mold metabolites on the parts per trillion level. The VOCs and Mold VOCs can be determined all on the same tube and within the same air sample.

While calibration curves and in-house library reference data are rigorously maintained to provide these determinations for many of the compounds, it is also possible to identify hundreds more compounds through the investigative capabilities of our infrared and mass spectrometry equipment. Unlike other laboratories that rely solely on computerized library searches to identify chemical compounds, which can lead to incorrect identification and invalid test results, trained, degreed chemical analysts perform each Prism analysis using a variety of sophisticated tools such as search algorithms, proficiency in mass spectral interpretation, and experience with FT-IR and GC-MS analysis. This adherence to human professional proficiency leads to a greater validity of chemical identification.