Een onthullende spray laat elke loodverontreiniging felgroen oplichten

Toxicologie Een simpele spraytest toont gevoelig en onmiddellijk aan of een voorwerp vervuild is met lood. De vinding is een bijvangst uit het onderzoek naar loodvrije leds en zonnepanelen. „Wij hebben de gedachte omgedraaid.”

‘We hebben de spray op allerlei gebruiksvoorwerpen uitgeprobeerd, het was voor ons verrassend in hoeveel alledaagse dingen lood zit”, zegt chemicus Lukas Helmbrecht.

Ook een theepot van mijn huisgenoot lichtte fel groen op. Die wordt dus niet meer gebruikt. Best jammer, het was een geliefde theepot.

Innovatieve Toepassing van de Looddetectiespray

De spray waardoor de theepot is verbannen detecteert lood. Helmbrecht ontwikkelde de spray samen met zijn collega Wim Noorduin van natuurkundig onderzoeksinstituut Amolf in Amsterdam. Ook de mooie wijnglazen die de ouders van Noorduin jarenlang bewaarden zullen nooit meer gebruikt worden, concludeerde hij na gebruik van de spray. De looddetectiespray bestaat uit een oplossing met methylammoniumbromide, dat reageert meteen als het in contact komt met een loodverbinding. Bij die reactie wordt een loodperovskiet gevormd, een specifieke kristalstructuur, dat groen oplicht wanneer het met uv-licht wordt beschenen.

Het is een nieuwe en verrassende toepassing van perovskiet, dat vooral onderzocht wordt als halfgeleidermateriaal voor zonnecellen en leds. Vorige week publiceerden Noorduin en Helmbrecht met enkele andere Amolfpromovendi over hun vinding in het tijdschrift Environmental Science and Technology.

Kinderen met loodvergiftiging

Het opsporen van loodverontreiniging is nuttig, want blootstelling aan lood komt veel voor en kan ernstige gevolgen hebben voor de gezondheid. In 2020 bleek uit onderzoek van Unicef en milieustichting Pure Earth dat 800 miljoen kinderen wereldwijd een loodvergiftiging hebben. Het loodgehalte in hun bloed is meer dan 5 microgram per deciliter, een grens waarboven volgens de wereldgezondheidsorganisatie actie moet worden ondernomen.

Read the full article on nrc.nl

The reagent reacts with lead, forming a perovskite that fluoresces green under UV light

Spray-on detector makes Lead light up green

Chemical reacts with Lead instantly to form fluorescent perovskite

Lead contamination and exposure can cause “ profound and permanent ” impacts, including brain damage in children, and increased risk of kidney damage, cardiovascular disease, and miscarriage, according to the World Health Organization. While known contamination is relatively easy to mitigate, the detection itself can be a tricky proposition. Standard methods can only detect Lead if it’s isolated and concentrated first.

Everyday items, with a result in seconds.

Now, researchers at Amolf, a research institute dedicated to studying the physics of matter, have developed a spray-on reagent that signals the presence of even tiny amounts of Lead by lighting up fluorescent green under a UV light within seconds. Comprised of methyl ammonium bromide in isopropanol, it reacts with Lead to form a photoluminescent Lead bromide perovskite (Environ. Sci. Technol. 2023, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c06058).

“We can even spot nanograms of Lead in laboratory conditions”

Gabriel Filippelli, a biogeochemist at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, who wasn’t involved in study but did test a beta version of the spray, says that it is both sensitive, quick, and accurate, detecting Lead in a way that is obvious to the eye. According to the researchers, the reagent does not react with similar metals like tin or copper, and it can detect Lead on glass, plastic, concrete, soil, metal, paint, and more. “We can [even] spot nanograms of Lead in laboratory conditions,” says Wim Noorduin, the Lead author of the study. The color emitted by the perovskite depends on the halide; bromide causes it to appear green.

The versatile Lead Detection with surprising Origins

“What’s special about our [test] is that we . . . just do it in the environment,” Noorduin says. In fact, the researchers were surprised by the versatility and robustness of the reaction, which detects Lead in different oxidation states and with different counter ions. The researchers spent two years developing the reagent, but for a different use—to make perovskites from the calcium carbonate in the shell of creatures like sea urchins. They discovered its potential as a Lead detector by accident, when Noorduin took it home and happened to spray it on his neighbors’ roof.

Read the full article on cen.acs.org

Krantenartikel

Titaan: A hub for Impact Businesses to improve the world

Titaan, a former storage facility in the old Caballero factory located in Binckhaven, The Hague, has been transformed into a sustainable business hub for impact companies. The building boasts 13,000 square meters of space that can accommodate businesses ranging from 8 to 150 employees.

The facility is already 50% occupied, and on the ground floor, a communal space has been created where innovative entrepreneurs can meet, network and collaborate. Titaan is built using sustainable materials, with a glass roof that allows natural light to flood in, creating a pleasant working environment for its occupants. The building also retains many of its original features and provides various workspace options that cater to the needs of different kinds of businesses.

Impact Businesses

Titaan aims to support impact businesses, which are companies that aim to make the world a better place by providing solutions to everyday problems. LumetalliX is a company that aligns with this vision.

Lead Poisoning: A Severe Threat

Lead is toxic, and even short exposure to small concentrations of Lead can cause severe and permanent damage, especially in small children. LumetalliX has developed a Lead detection solution that can detect Lead in various materials. LumetalliX’s Lead detection solution is straightforward to use. It involves spraying or dripping the reagent onto the material suspected of containing Lead.

If Lead is present, it will light up, making it easy to detect.

The company’s solution is highly sensitive, even to 200ppm of solid Lead, which is detectable with the naked eye. The sensitivity can also be tuned to suit specific applications.

Promoting Environmental and Public Health

LumetalliX’s Lead detection solution is instrumental in promoting environmental and public health. By making it easier to detect Lead in various materials, the company can prevent Lead poisoning and create a safer world for everyone. LumetalliX’s Lead detection solution is ideal for various industries, including manufacturing, construction, and environmental testing.

Conclusion

Titaan is a hub that aims to provide a conducive working environment for impact businesses. LumetalliX is one of the many businesses that contribute to making the world a better place by providing innovative solutions to everyday problems. By detecting Lead in various materials, LumetalliX is helping to promote environmental and public health, and their solution is an ideal choice for many different industries.