Project description
A new assay for multi-element detection
Protecting humans, animals and the environment from hazardous substances in soil, water or food requires analytical detection techniques. Currently, environmental samples are analysed for their elemental compositions using high-throughput screening. Germany’s Aachen Institute for Nuclear Training (AiNT) has developed an innovative non-destructive and non-contact assay for multi-element detection using neutrons as probes. The EU-funded NEAT project will conduct a feasibility study into the application of this new technology, which will enable the detection of heavy metal contents and other contaminants in large environmental samples in a short amount of time. This technology will specifically target the agriculture industry, environmental authorities or industrial companies that need information on the elemental composition of their samples.
Objective
Accumulations of hazardous substances in soil, water or air, mean a serious threat for society. To prevent damage from population, there is a trend of applying stricter and stricter statutory thresholds, especially for heavy metals. AiNT has developed an innovative non-destructive and non-contact assay for multi-element detection using neutrons as probes. The technology enables the determination of heavy metal contents and other contaminats in large environmental samples in a minimal time. Potential customers for measurement services are companies in the agriculture industry, environmental authorities or industrial companies who need information on the elemental composition of their samples.
The market of environmental analysis has a volume of approximately two billion € in Germany (2014) and has been steadily growing at an average rate of 10 % per year between 2003 and 2010. The measurement system is currently built in a technical centre of AiNT. Analysis results are created automatically by the developed evaluation software. Results are digitally available and can be uploaded to a cloud-based database for direct access and post-processing.
Objectives of the feasibility study (phase 1) are the following. Firstly, an extensive market study will be conducted. From this study, the submarket for market entry is chosen. Furthermore, we choose a business partner for marketing and sales. We study measurement concepts and necessary adaptions of the design of the measuring system to general conditions and specific needs of the chosen submarket. All this leads to the elaboration of the business model. The preferred option is to offer measurements as a service. The feasibility study will clarify the chances of prospect of the development for environmental analysis and will identify the economically most attractive submarket for business activities. Alternatives to the preferred model, the direct marketing of the measurement system as a product, will also be investigated.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdata science
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftware
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdatabases
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementbusiness models
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculture
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Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
52222 Stolberg
Germany
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.