Grant Award Year: 2017-2018
Principal Investigator:
Baoshan Xing, Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Research Description:
Facilitate the detection of low levels of nanoparticles and track their transformations in the aquatic environment.
Report
- Project Number: 2017MA462B
- Start Date: 3/1/2017
- End Date: 12/31/2019
- Funding Source: 104B
- Congressional District: MA-002
- Research Category: Water Quality
- Focus Categories: Toxic Substances, Methods, Water Quality
- Publications: There are no publications.
- Problem and Research Objectives: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are released to and/or naturally formed in the environment due to their widespread use. Thus, it is urgent to develop reliable and rapid analytical methods which can be used in the field to detect AgNPs. We are developing a procedure which couples a rapid filtration with a portable Raman spectrometer to achieve on-site detection of AgNPs for aqueous samples. This method will enable simple volume adjustment and consistent AgNP distribution on the membrane. It will be the first field-deployable SERS method for sensitive measurements of trace levels of AgNPs in environmental waters.
- Principal Findings and Significance: As the award arrived in late summer 2017 and the majority of the budget is for the graduate student summer salary, we could not use the funding this funding cycle. We were granted a no-cost extension and will use the fund for the student summer salary of 2018 to do the proposed research.