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(Nanowerk News) Air pollution is responsible for 550,000 premature deaths a year in Europe and 7 million worldwide, according to the WHO. However, it can be difficult to measure because equipment tends to be bulky and expensive. But that could soon change thanks to a small optical nanosensor developed at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, which can be mounted on an ordinary lamp post.
The technology is already being used in western Sweden and researchers and other interested parties hope that the sensor can soon be used in many general contexts. A collaboration with the University of Sheffield is also underway.
"Air pollution is a global health problem. Being able to contribute to the acquisition of knowledge and the improvement of the environment is good. With the help of these small portable sensors, it is sometimes simpler and less expensive to accurately measure hazardous emissions, "says Chalmers researcher Irem Tanyeli, who has contributed to the development of these small sensors, which measure Nitrogen dioxide with high accuracy.
For high-tech sensors to be able to move from the lab to the real world, Irem Tanyeli collaborated with Insplorion, a Gothenburg-based company co-founded in 2010 by Christoph Langhammer, a researcher at Chalmers, with the help of financier Mistra Innovation. been involved in the company's efforts to meet the great environmental challenge of accurate mapping of air pollution.
"This is a great example of how a university and a business can collaborate. With their expertise, both parties are helping to create a new product, contributing to a more sustainable society, "said Christoph Langhammer, a professor in the Chalmers Department of Physics.
The exhaust gases from road traffic are responsible for the majority of the pollution by nitrogen dioxide in the air. Breathing nitrogen dioxide is harmful to health, even at very low concentrations, and can damage the respiratory system and lead to heart and vascular disease. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is the biggest risk to environmental health in the world.
The new optical nanosensor can very accurately detect low concentrations of nitrogen dioxide – up to the parts per billion (ppb) level. The measurement technique is based on an optical phenomenon called plasmon. It occurs when metal nanoparticles are illuminated and absorb light of certain wavelengths. Christoph Langhammer and his research group have been working in this field for over a decade and innovations are starting to emerge.
Irem Tanyeli has been working for two years on optimizing the sensor material and carrying out tests in simulated environmental conditions. The technology is now installed in a streetlight in Gothenburg, as part of a collaboration with Leading Light Lighting Company, to measure the amount of nitrogen dioxide molecules in the city. urban environment.
"In the future, we hope that the technology can also be integrated with other urban infrastructure, such as traffic lights or radars, or to measure the air quality at the same time. inside, "said Irem Tanyeli.
A sensor is also installed on the roof of Nordstan in Gothenburg, one of the largest shopping centers in Scandinavia, and will soon be installed on the road to Västlänken, a major project to build a railway tunnel, also in Gothenburg.
Technology has already attracted interest from several organizations, including the Urban Flow Monitor, an air quality center at the University of Sheffield. They will conduct field tests by comparing the results of the nanosensors with data from a number of UK reference stations.
"There is a lack of small functional nitrogen dioxide sensors on the market. We find this nanosplasmonic solution interesting and we look forward to the results of the test, "says Professor Martin Mayfield of the Urban Flow Observatory at the University of Sheffield.
Stenhøj Sverige, a company that develops gas and smoke badyzers for automotive repair shops and car control companies, as well as IVL, the Swedish institute for environmental research, are also interested. IVL works with applied research and development in close collaboration with industry and the public sphere to solve environmental problems.
The new sensor technology is not limited to the measurement of nitrogen dioxide, but can also be adapted to other types of gas. There is therefore a potential for further innovation.
"Nitrogen dioxide is only one of many substances that can be detected with the aid of optical nanosensors. The possibilities offered by this type of technology are great, "says Christoph Langhammer.
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