Imagine using your phone to track the spread of water contaminants—like oil spills, or even viruses like COVID-19—in the blink of an eye.
Researchers at McGill University have developed new artificial intelligence that uses advances in lasers, optics and mobile technology to make the invisible visible. The new technology uses remote sensing, which means it can pick up information from a distance and could one day be deployed on satellites to detect pollutants as small as nanometers to a centimeter in the global water system in real time.
“This information can be used to identify, predict and address the spread of environmental pollutants and outbreaks of diseases or viruses“Professor Parisa Aria, from the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sciences, who led the research team, said.”It is a game-changer, enabling governments, industry and communities to act quickly, share information and reduce damage to ecosystems and public health risks. “
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Journal references:
Hall, R., Wait. (2022) A novel dynamic technique, nano-DIHM, for rapid detection of oil, heavy metals and biological leakage in aquatic systems. analytical chemistry. doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.2c02396.