Handheld device detects and analyzes soil contamination within seconds

05-23-2014 • http://www.gizmag.com, By Colin Jeffrey

However, with laboratory samples and results requiring at least a number of days turn around, particularly in remote locations, rapid analysis is not usually possible. RemScan is a self-contained, hand-held hydrocarbon contamination testing device designed to address this problem. Recently released on the US market, the world first device developed by CSIRO Australia and its industry partner, Ziltek, is capable of testing many hundred samples a day, providing data on the spot, within seconds, and completely without the need of a laboratory.

Using infra-red spectroscopy (a technique that uses infra-red light to determine what molecules are present by measuring the frequency of the light absorbed and identifying molecules by reading that frequency) the RemScan device analyzes and characterizes results within 15 seconds and displays them on the screen of an attached PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). The data is also stored on an SD card and can be downloaded to a computer as a Microsoft Excel file.