A strip test for mercury in water samples offers results comparable with spectroscopic measurements, according to researchers in China. A Ningbo U team has developed a test strip based on functionalised gold nanoparticles that cause a colour change if mercury is present in a sample at just 3 nanomolar concentrations, lower than the US EPA’s drinking water limit (10 nM). Highly sensitive and highly selective for the hazardous metal.
More details this week in my SpectroscopyNOW column.