airports

railway stations

terror targets

water bottles

Indian Institute of Science

UMARS

Raman spectroscopy platform

scientist Sir C V Raman

London’s Heathrow airport

anthrax virus

UMARS technology

Non-invasive technique to detect hazardous chemicals in liquids could transform screening methods atand otherChuckingand decanting shampoo containers before stepping into the airport’s security-check arena is something travellers are coerced into doing. An indigenous contraption might soon render this regimen unnecessary, aviation authorities willing.In a cutting-egde find, scientists at the(IISc) have developed a new non-invasive technique to identify explosive and hazardous chemicals hidden inside any container, plastic bottle, thick paper, envelope, and coloured glass bottle. Titled ‘Universal Multiple Angle Raman Spectroscopy’ (), the technology is based on theand explores the molecular signatures of the liquid being carried without the bottle being opened.The breakthrough has the stamp of Bangalore all over it, across generations. Raman spectroscopy is a discovery of Indian (and Bangalore-based)– also the first Indian director of IISc -- who won the Physics Nobel in 1930.“Security personnel currently either prohibit bottles containing liquids from being carried across the gate or demand the passenger taste the liquid to ascertain its content. With UMARS technique, the machine tells exactly what the chemical carried by the passenger, is. This will not only prevent intrusion into a passenger’s privacy but but also save screening time,” said Prof Siva Umapathy, J C Bose Fellow Professor, Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, IISc.The UMARS technique was developed by Prof Umapathy and his student Dr Sanchita Sil, who is now at the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (Pune), in a research that spanned over two years. The findings were published in the internationally-recognised journal, Nature’s Scientific Report, on Monday.Prof Umapathy said the conventional X-ray baggage screening methods can only detect the presence of liquid in bottles (in the baggage), but UMARS can identify if any explosive-related chemical is being carried in the bottle.UMARS relies on illuminating the sample with the light source, which provides scattered light, offering molecular-specific signatures to identify the chemical substance. Prof Umapathy told Bangalore Mirror, “Like fingerprints, all chemicals have their own molecular signatures. We profile the signatures of all explosives and hazardous substances, upload the molecular data on to the computer and go about scanning with a portable easy-to-operate set-up. Whenever a packet or a bottle containing the listed chemical or liquids is subjected to a check, the machine would be able detect it.” He said depending on the alert, security personnel could take a call, instead of subjecting everyone and every piece of baggage to physical scrutiny. Prof Umapathy and Dr Sanchita had used the technique to identify ammonium nitrate, a major component in making explosives, packed in a container.Explaining the working of UMARS, Prof Umapathy, who is also a special professor at University of Nottingham in the UK, said it is a geometry independent, flexible, robust, non-invasive technique having the potential to be used in various fields of science spanning materials to biology as well as space exploration.On how it differs from other screening mechanisms in the world, Prof Umapathy explained that the UK, USA and Japan have various advanced technologies in place to detect liquids. While authorities at the Kobe airport in Japan are trying out microwave technology to detect explosives,is reported to be using laser spectroscopy to screen for prohibited substances, he said, adding, “The speed and penetration level in our technology is quite high: While the process to screen the material is generally within 100 milliseconds, we have demonstrated profiling depths from a distance of 25 cm (can go up to 50 cm in laboratory condition).”With the UMARS prototype ready and in progress for miniaturization of the instrument, the two scientists are exploring commercialisation of their find. “We want to work with industries in the security and defence sectors, there is tremendous scope for its deployment in the country,” Prof Umapathy said about the patented product.Prof Siva Umapathy and Dr Sanchita Sil explain: “Non-invasive 3D imaging in materials and medical research involves methodologies such as Xray, MRI, fluorescence and optical coherence tomography and NIR absorption and magnetic resonance. These techniques provide information on morphology or density or changes in the bulk properties of materials but with no specific information on the cehmical composition of the material. Here, we present a new method using Raman scattering principles to record Raman spectra of concealed chemicals that provide unique molecular signatures of the species present.”Raman spectroscopy is a form of molecular spectroscopy that was used to provide the first catalogue of molecular vibrational frequencies. C V Raman discovered that when light traverses a transparent material, some of the deflected light changes in wavelength. This phenomenon is now called Raman scattering.Screening of envelopes for chemicals can be done without having to open the packet. Remember the US White House officials’ fear of thebeing transmitted through mail? UMARS can make such a scenario an impossibility.Suspicious material can be scanned at the entrance itself by subjecting all packets to. Even counterfeit drugs can be detected.A portable system can be installed at the railway station to detect explosives in small packets and hazardous chemicals in bottles.Smuggling of narcotics and hazardous chemicals can be checked. Could be of use to army personnel manning border check-posts.