Gold nanoparticle-based mercury analyzer for on-site measurement of soil and sedi

DESCRIPTION: Our proposed project, Gold nanoparticle-based mercury analyzer for on-site measurement of soil and sediment, will develop and test the feasibility of nanoparticle- based mercury sensors for on-site measurements. Our focus is on adapting thetechnique to accommodate soil and sediment samples from contaminated sites. Immediate, highly accurate, and sensitive measurements of mercury contamination at sites are the best option. But the high-cost, low portability and low sensitivity of the available instruments often force investigators to collect samples and send them to labs to be analyzed. Gold nanoparticle-based plasmonic mercury sensing is inexpensive, ultra-sensitive, and ideal for portable applications. Using off-the-shelf components, Picoyune will design and build a lightweight (lt20 lbs) and low power sensor that can replace time consuming and costly laboratory methods. The prototype sensor will be tested for feasibility and compared to the other commercial options. The development of s