Develops a new sensor that measures the amount of mercury in water

"One of the greatest advantages of the device is its high sensitivity, much larger of which is normally the case in the portable devices: can detect mercury even at levels picomolares, three orders of magnitude below the limit set by the European Union (1 part trillion)", as expressed by the study director Jaime Veciana.

It is composed by an optical sensor that works using surface plasmon resonance technique for measuring the molecular interactions of the surface. The researchers used a modified molecule which allows the formation of a layer of receptor molecules on a surface of gold. Each chip is valid to be used in four analyses, so are lowering costs.

"Only because of its great sensitivity and the possibility of analysis in the field, avoiding the sending of samples to laboratories and the days of waiting, justified the relevance of development", said immaculate Ratera, one of the investigators of the CSIC.

Mercury pollution has been increasing quite in recent years, due in large part to the increase in the industry and the high volatilizad of this compound: "mercury is present in small amounts in most fuels and industrial waste." "When they are burned, passes easily into the atmosphere and to rain, accumulates in aquifers," recounted shoplifter.

The mercury is also a potent neurotoxic, difficult to remove, so that the measures are aimed to reduce its presence and to monitor their levels, "in this sense, what we have just developed would facilitate the analysis," concluded shoplifter.