The recent issue of Open Rivers Journal reported our research in mercury detection.

Mercury contamination has been an important environmental and health concern throughout the world for decades. High exposures to the mercuric ion (Hg²⁺) may result in acrodynia (pink disease) and damage to the nervous system and kidneys. Furthermore, the mercuric ion is stable and soluble in aquatic systems, and methylmercury can accumulate in bodies through the food chain, which is known to cause brain damage and other chronic diseases, even paralysis, and death. Nowadays, the detection of trace-level toxic heavy metal ions mostly relies on bulky and costly analytical instruments in central labs. Driven by this need, Prof. Jian-Ping Wang and his group at the University of Minnesota developed and tested a diagnostic platform designed to detect mercuric ion (Hg²⁺) using nanotechnology.

Find the article here.