• Inspectors uncover Qaddafi’s hidden WMD stockpile

    Last week international weapons inspector found clear evidence that the late Libyan dictator Moammar Qaddafi had large caches of hidden chemical weapons, despite making a promise to destroy all weapons of mass destruction weapons in 2004

  • Smiths Detection unveils new portable chemical detector

    Earlier this month Smiths Detection unveiled its latest chemical detector, a portable device that combines high speed, high-resolution gas chromatography and a miniaturized toroidal ion trap mass spectrometer

  • New portable chemical detector for military, first responders

    New, portable chemical detector for the military and emergency response can quickly and accurately confirm the presence and identity of chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals in gases, vapors, liquids, and solids

  • Tracking nerve agents back to the source where terrorists got it

    Scientists are reporting development of a first-of-its-kind technology that could help law enforcement officials trace the residues from terrorist attacks involving nerve gas and other chemical agents back to the companies or other sources where the perpetrators obtained ingredients for the agent

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  • Anthropomorphic robot testing chemical protection

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    Boston Dynamics is showing its PETMAN — an anthropomorphic robot for testing chemical protection clothing used by the U.S. Army

  • A toxic gas detecting wristband for first responders

    To protect first responders from deadly toxic gases that are invisible to the human eye, Morphix Technologies has developed the Chameleon chemical detection wrist band

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  • DHS funds Ricin detection

    Positive ID announces the company’s immunodetection assay for the identification of Ricin toxin to meet DHS specifications; Ricin, a chemical warfare agent, is derived from the seeds of the castor oil plant Ricinus communis and has become a tool of terrorist groups across the world due to its easy production and high toxicity

  • Reducing exposure to groundwater arsenic

    Well diggers in Bangladesh will soon be able to take advantage of a cell phone-based data system, developed at the Earth Institute, to target safe groundwater aquifers for installing new wells that are not tainted with arsenic

  • CDC releases report detailing bio-chem lab detection capabilities

    Last week the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report detailing its latest advancements in local and state laboratories’ abilities to identify dangerous biological and chemical substances

  • Using breath and sweat to detect trapped disaster victims

    Molecules in breath, sweat, and skin have been used by researchers to detect humans in a simulation of a collapsed building, offering the prospect of portable sensors for use in real-life situations, such as the devastating aftermath of devastating disasters

  • Simple solution for removing arsenic from water

    Almost 100 million people in developing countries are exposed to dangerously high levels of arsenic in their drinking water, unable to afford complex purification technology; scientists developed a simple, inexpensive method for removing arsenic based on chopped up pieces of ordinary plastic beverage bottles coated with a nutrient found in many foods and dietary supplements

  • 1st Detect receives U.S. patent for chemical detector

    A portable mass spectrometry detector, capable of detecting residues and vapors from explosives, chemical warfare agents, toxic chemicals, food and beverage contamination, illicit drugs and pollution, is awarded U.S. patent

  • New device identifies unknown liquids instantly

    Materials scientists and applied physicists have invented a new device that can instantly identify an unknown liquid; the 3D-nanostructured chip offers a litmus test for surface tension (and doubles as a carrier for secret messages); the researchers are currently developing more precisely calibrated chips and conducting field tests with government partners for applications in quality assurance and contaminant identification

  • Nanowire-based sensors detect volatile organic compounds

    Researchers have made nano-sized sensors that detect volatile organic compounds — harmful pollutants released from paints, cleaners, pesticides, and other products — which offer several advantages over today’s commercial gas sensors, including low-power room-temperature operation and the ability to detect one or several compounds over a wide range of concentrations

  • Massachusetts firefighters purchase chemical fire equipment

    Local firefighters in Massachusetts recently received a new foam trailer capable of pumping out 500 gallons per minute; to control chemical fires and other difficult blazes, firefighters often use foam to coat the fuel to deprive the fire of oxygen; the new foam trailer is particularly useful as Ayer is home to several chemical and electrical facilities