Tag: Common Sense

Heavy metals sensor platform developed during the COMMON SENSE project

Written by Anna May on January 30, 2017. Posted in News, Projects News.

*From left to right:* **Pablo Fanjul** (DropSens), **Cesar Fernández** (CNM), **Martí Gich** (NN Group), **Carla Navarro** (DropSens), **Anna Roig** (NN Group), **Margaret McCaul** (DCU)

A sensor platform to detect heavy metals has been developed within the COMMON SENSE project and presented during its final event, last Friday 27th January.

The partners that participated in the development of this sensor platform are Dublin City University (DCU), DropSens, National Center of Microelectronics (CNM-IMB) (CSIC), and the Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites Group (NN) at ICMAB (CSIC).

Highlights of the heavy metals sensor platform (photo):

Autonomous system for the detection of cadmium (Cd²⁺), lead (Pb²⁺), copper (Cu²⁺) and mercury (Hg²⁺) ions at trace level.
Modular design.
Adjustable flow control for heavy metals detection.
No pre-treatment of samples necessary.
No pre-concentraton of samples necessary. The sensor directly operates on-site and pre-concentrates the heavy metals on the surface of the electrode.
Complete mixing of the sample and buffer in a microfluidic chip.
Storage container for reagent waste designed for easy on-site maintenance.

Heavy metals sensor platform, with a **TRL=7**

Apart from this sensor, in which the NN Group has participated, the COMMON SENSE project has developed prototypes of other in situ next generation marine monitoring sensors:

Microplastics analyser
Underwater noise sensor
Eutrophication sensor
Autonomous pH and pCO₂ sensors
Innovative temperature and pressure sensors

For more information, please visit the COMMON SENSE project website or contact the leader of the Dissemination and Knowledge Management Work Package, Cliona Ní Cheallachain (cliona@aquatt.ie).

The COMMON SENSE project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program (Ocean 2013-2) under grant agreement no 614155.

Final COMMON SENSE meeting and public event: Next generation sensors for ocean observation.

Written by Anna May on January 25, 2017. Posted in News, Projects News.

On Friday, January 27, there will be a public and free event to present the final results of the COMMON SENSE project on “Demonstration of next generation sensors for advanced real-time ocean observation“.

This event will closure the COMMON SENSE project, in which the NN group has actively participated in the development of electrochemical sensors that are able to detect different heavy metals simultaneously.

Date and time:
Friday, January 27, from 9 am to 5 pm
Location:
Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona (FNOB)
1 Moll de Llevant, 08039 Barcelona (View Map)

Martí Gich and Anna Roig will participate in a previous meeting on Thursday, with the project team, and on Friday on the public event.

Professionals working in the marine environment and citizens curious about the status of our oceans are invited!

The COMMON SENSE project is creating prototypes of next generation in-situ marine sensors to deliver vital information about the oceans. The project directly responds to the requirement for integrated and effective data acquisition systems by developing innovative sensors that will contribute to our understanding of how the marine environment functions. In doing so, COMMON SENSE results can support the implementation of European Union marine policies such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

As the COMMON SENSE project comes to a successful conclusion, the results will be presented at this final workshop, along with a demonstration of the novel sensors developed and tested during the project.

The COMMON SENSE sensors need less human operation and intervention than current technologies and create standardised data on eutrophication, underwater noise, heavy metals, and marine litter, with a focus on microplastics. Other important parameters considered are temperature, pressure, pH and pCO₂.

Download the program
Register for the event

Martí Gich at the COMMON SENSE 36 Month meeting in Sardinia

Written by Anna May on September 28, 2016. Posted in Conferences, News, Projects News.

Martí Gich is at the COMMON SENSE 36 Month meeting, which will take place in Oristano, Sardinia, on September 29-30. The COMMON SENSE project aims at developing low cost sensors that will revolutionise current marine monitoring strategies.

Please enjoy this short video featuring field testing of COMMON SENSE sensors, which have been testes in various cruises throughout the past year:
http://www.commonsenseproject.eu/2014-02-21-11-34-56/commonsensenews/1645-common-sense-featured-in-new-video

Website of the project: http://www.commonsenseproject.eu/

Martí Gich and Laura Asturias attended the 30-Month Meeting of the FP7 COMMON SENSE project at DCU, IRELAND

Written by Anna May on April 11, 2016. Posted in News, Projects News.

Martí Gich and Laura Asturias attended the 30-Month Meeting of the FP7 COMMON SENSE project at Dublin City University, in Ireland, on April 6^th – 7^th, 2016.

The COMMON SENSE project‘s title is “Cost-effective sensors, interoperable with international existing ocean observing systems, to meet EU policies requirements“, and the main topic of this meeting was Work Package 7: Sensors for in-situ monitoring of heavy metals. The COMMON SENSE project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program (Ocean 2013-2) under the grant agreement n^o 614155.

Laura Asturias giving the presentation in the meeting.

COMMON SENSE RESULTS: First test of the newly developed heavy metal sensors for Cd and Pb in natural sea water samples

Written by Anna Roig on November 23, 2015. Posted in News, Projects News.

This first test using natural Mediterranean seawater has shown that the method and electrodes worked correctly.

Studies were done at the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) in the Aquaria and Experimental Chambers (ZAE) facilities.

The water salinity of the samples was ~38, that is, nearly the highest values (40) that can be found in open seas worldwide. Neither “recent” nor “old” seawater analysed showed significant values of Cd and Pb. However, Cu was detected in the “old” seawater. These results are in accordance to the periodic control analyses carried out in the ZAE.

Laura Asturias (NAPCOM-CSIC) and Jordi Salat (ICM-CSIC)

See complete NOTE: First Tests