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Access Control Point Monitoring Technologies for the 

Biological Defense Initiative

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency is executing the Biological 

Defense Initiative (BDI). The purpose of this program is to achieve 

early detection and characterization of a biological related incident in 

an urban area to reduce casualties, support consequence management 

efforts, and minimize disruption to infrastructures. The monitoring of 

access control points is one technology to be incorporated in a 

biological defense system. 

Access control point monitoring (ACPM) in urban areas focuses on two 

objectives: (1) detection of bio-agents at chokepoints in the flow of 

people or goods at locations such as transportation hubs, and (2) 

detection of the release of biological agents in a critical facility such as 

a major government building, sports/convention venue or airport. The 

ACPM technologies to be examined in the BDI are environmental 

monitoring and nondestructive evaluation. 

For a critical facility, environmental monitoring technologies include 

filter-based aerosol collectors supported by an analytical laboratory as 

well as autonomous detectors. These technologies lead to a high 

confidence identification of a biological agent, but require from 10 

minutes to one hour up to six hours to make that identification. 

In addition, environmental monitoring for access control points will be 

supplemented by near-real time (minutes) early warning sensors. The 

current technology for early warning sensors is derived from particle 

detection technology such as that employed by the Environmental 

Protection Agency. These sensors utilize laser scattering, coupled with 

detection of ultra-violet fluorescence to discriminate between biological 

and non-biological particulates. They are relatively low cost but have a 

higher probability of alarming for a non-biological agent material and 

do not provide definitive identification of the agent. 

For the BDI testbed, access control point monitoring technologies are 

being studied at the Albuquerque International Sunport (airport) in 

Albuquerque, NM. A variety of higher confidence, but slower, 

environmental monitoring systems are being examined at the airport 
as well as several commercially available early warning sensors. Each 

critical facility and chokepoint has its own unique physical 

characteristics, security requirements and rapid response options. 

However, a common requirement will be to minimize any disruption in 

the flow of people or goods through the facility. Understanding the 

broad range of technical and implementation issues for access control 

point monitoring is one objective for the BDI. 

September 2002

Back to News & Information Factsheets

Back to BDI News Release

BDI Factsheets

• Access Control Point Monitoring Technologies for the Biological 

Defense Initiative 

• Analytical Laboratory for the Biological Defense Initiative

• Biological Defense Initiative Testbed

• Environmental Monitoring Technologies for the Biological Defense 

Initiative

• Medical Surveillance for the Biological Defense Initiative