Super-Sensitive Spray-On Explosive Detector

esocid writes "US scientists have designed a new spray-on explosive detector sensitive enough to detect just a billionth of a gram of (nitrogen-containing) explosive. After treatment, the explosive glows blue under UV light, making the detector perfect for use in the field. The silafluorene-fluorene copolymer can detect explosives at much lower levels than existing systems because it detects particles instead of explosive vapors, and is able to show the difference between nitrate esters (trinitroglycerin) and nitroaromatic explosives (TNT). The team is currently working on a similar system to detect peroxide-based explosives and say they hope to be able to investigate perchlorates and organic nitrates, too."

Comments

Re:This Just In... "Explosive material found..."

[davidsyes]

in every bathroom in Corporate Amerika, too...

I think US (especially corporate) bathrooms should have CLOSED ENCLOSURES, like many in Japan (at least the ones i've seen). They need to be SEALED. When some shit goes in there and fumigates, it should be the shit-ter who suffers, not everyone else who follows or needs to wash their hands.

This has been something I've noticed over 15 years.... AND NO! US code-approved ceiling fans are NOT enough... not unless a chiller and defumigator are in the toilet room. Deodorizes don't do much of shit. Antiseptic/disinfectants should be sprayed. But, there have been times when I manually over-pumped cinnamon defunker. When called on it, my response was, "do you want it SPICY or DICEY in there?"