Detecting airborne hazardous chemicals has long posed a challenge due to their dilute concentrations and high mobility. Yet, effective monitoring of these substances is essential for protecting public health and the environment. A newly developed device, known as ABLE, offers a promising solution by making airborne hazard collection and detection both more efficient and accessible.
Developed by researchers from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, ABLE is a compact device measuring just four by eight inches. Despite its small size and low cost—under $200—it has demonstrated powerful capabilities in capturing and analyzing airborne contaminants.
One of ABLE’s most promising applications lies in healthcare environments such as hospitals and neonatal units. Here, it can detect viruses, bacteria, and nanoplastics directly from the air. This approach offers a less invasive alternative to procedures like blood draws, particularly beneficial for vulnerable infants.
The system leverages a principle from thermal science: the conversion of gas to liquid. Instead of relying on large, expensive machines like mass spectrometers to analyze airborne chemicals in gas form, ABLE introduces water vapor into air samples and then cools them. This causes the air to condense into droplets on a bed of microscopic silicon spikes. These droplets naturally trap and concentrate airborne molecules, even those present at extremely low levels—parts per billion or less. Once collected, the liquid sample can be tested using simple and affordable tools such as paper-based strips, enzyme assays, or optical sensors.
This process not only reduces the complexity and cost of airborne chemical detection but also opens the door for broader use in remote or resource-limited settings. The ability of common biomolecules to enter water droplets without the need for complex chemical treatments makes ABLE particularly efficient and scalable.
The research team, based in the Interfacial Thermofluids Lab at the University of Notre Dame, is now working on miniaturizing ABLE further. The goal is to integrate the technology into portable sensing platforms or mobile robotic systems for widespread environmental and health monitoring.
Beyond the lab, efforts are underway to deploy ABLE in neonatal care units in collaboration with community partners. The broader vision includes enabling low-cost, real-time monitoring of environmental and biological hazards in both medical and industrial settings.
By rethinking how to capture and analyze airborne chemicals using simple materials and natural processes, ABLE represents a major step forward in making high-precision environmental monitoring both affordable and widely accessible.
By Impact Lab