How micro- and nanoplastics are infiltrating the Arctic ice

Environmental scientist Alice Pradel cultivates ice cores in the lab to investigate the transport and accumulation of micro-​ and nanoplastics

26-Mar-2024 - “Beat the Microbead” is the name of a campaign launched in 2012 with the aim of reducing the use of microplastics in cosmetic products in order to minimise negative effects on the environment and people. For Alice Pradel, the campaign was a wake-​up call. “As a young environmental scientist, I ...

Fraunhofer IPMS develops new multi-sensor system for water analysis

New standards in the assessment of water quality

22-Mar-2024 - With groundbreaking developments in the field of chemical sensor technology, the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS is setting new standards in the assessment of water quality for humans and the environment. In addition to key parameters such as conductivity and pH, nutrients ...

Chemical analyses faster and more precise than ever before

A new spectroscopy method: Ultra-short light pulses enable high-precision "artificial nose"

15-Mar-2024 - Whether you want to analyze environmental samples in nature or monitor a chemical experiment, you often need highly sensitive sensors that can "sniff out" even tiny traces of a certain gas with extreme accuracy. Variants of Raman spectroscopy are often used for this purpose: Different molecules ...

Novel development for pH measurement

Innovation in sensor technology opens up new possibilities for more precise, more efficient data acquisition in the field of chemical analysis

01-Mar-2024 - Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS announces a significant advance in chemical and biochemical analysis. The team led by Dr. Olaf R. Hild, Head of the Chemical Sensor Technology Business Unit, has successfully developed a pioneering sensing layer for chip-based pH measurement has ...

Detecting nanoplastics – in fractions of a second

Basis for new measurement devices

19-Jul-2023 - Tiny plastic particles are an environmental problem. They can even penetrate living cells. A method has now been developed at TU Wien to detect such particles quickly and with high sensitivity. It is well known that microplastics are a problem: They are tiny, barely visible plastic particles that ...

Bioindicator for the occurrence of PFAS

The liver of wild boar indicates the level of PFAS contamination

28-Apr-2023 - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are considered to be forever chemicals. Many are toxic; others are highly mobile or accumulate in the food chain. However, all are extremely persistent and are spread throughout the environment. The contamination hot-spots of the PFAS can be proven only ...

Highest precision: Microstructured fiber measures the size of nanoparticles

Better research into environmental and bioanalytical issues in the future

08-Dec-2022 - Researchers at Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz IPHT) developed a new glass fiber design that enables exceptionally long observations of a large number of individual, freely moving nanoparticles in a liquid. This allows the size distribution of nano-objects in a sample to be ...

analytica 2022: Analytics that benefit consumer and environmental protection

Does your mineral water contain nanoplastics or other pollutants?

28-Apr-2022 - Is that asparagus really local? Has the honey been diluted with cheap sugar? “analytica provides food inspectors with all the tools they need to answer these questions quickly and reliably,” says Armin Wittmann, analytica Exhibition director at Messe München. At the world's leading trade fair for ...

Inspired by nature: Scientists have developed a nanopore-microchip

01-Oct-2019 - Medical professionals and environment analysts would like to have microchips that measure substances directly on site. Scientists at TU Darmstadt have developed and patented a system based on nanopores with broad potential. Anyone wishing to use laboratory readings for diagnosing a disorder or ...

Trends in Analytics: Digitization, detecting novel pollutants and more

analytica 2018

13-Mar-2018 - From material testing to environmental monitoring: At the analytica, companies and research institutions from all over the world present their latest developments. A glance at the key aspects of the international leading trade fair for laboratory technology, analysis and biotechnology shows: ...