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Food safety
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Analytical characterization of nanoparticles |
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Analytical characterization of nanoparticles
Short project description
The hypothesis is that the mere nanometre size of matter, and its associated large surface area, may lead to adverse effects in living organisms including humans. Therefore health risk assessment of nanomaterials is of importance. The specific scope of this project is to develop and apply methodologies for nanoparticle recovery, detection of their chemical composition and determination of their size and surface area. The methods will be applied to particles in suspension or dosed to biological materials such as cell-lines or living animals.
The project will test methods to extract or liberate nanosized matter from food contact materials or from cells. Techniques assisted by ultrasound or by enzymes will be in focus.
Following sample preparation, methods for separation of mixtures of nanoparticles will be tested and compared. The separation techniques will be coupled on-line with detectors including inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for analysis of elemental composition, or with multi angle light scattering (MALS) for surface area measurement. In addition, organic mass spectrometry may become of importance for further characterisation of their exact mass or polymer structure.
Project period
2006-2010
Project funding
The project has been funded internally for acquisition of instrumentation for asymmetric field flow fractionation. Furthermore, DffE has funded 150000 DKK via the project SensiCoating. Finally, a research proposal on nanoclays in food contact materials is under external evaluation.
External collaboration
Professor Steffen Petersen, Ålborg University
Associate professor Peter Fojan, Ålborg University
Assistant professor | | |
