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The National Centre for Research and Development

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Construction of a prototype mobile device for the non-invasive detection of hazardous substances in the aquatic environment

Sabat

square with tentacles  Project title

Construction of a prototype mobile device for the non-invasive detection of hazardous substances in the aquatic environment

outline of the upper man silhouette  Name of Beneficiary/Beneficiaries

Jagiellonian University

briefcase icon  Name of programme

National programmes

newspaper icon  Competition

LEADER VII

two heaps of coins icon  Project value

PLN 1,200,000.00

hand icon with two circles above it  Funding value

PLN 1,200,000.00

clock icon  Project delivery period

from 01.01.2017 to 31.12.2020

Meet our team

See the result of our work

The first prototype of the SABAT sensor before testing the technology in water
The first prototype of the SABAT sensor before testing the technology in water

 

High quality 3D render

What problem does our project solve?

The increasing scale of terrorist and war threats requires increasingly effective methods of detecting hazardous materials. In particular, there are no solutions for effective monitoring of maritime hazards arising from the remnants of war. It is common to use magnetometers and sonar, which only give the shapes and densities of objects below the water surface. Consequently, assessing their hazard level requires sampling or inspection by qualified divers at the risk of their lives.  They are also very expensive, especially in the Baltic Sea, where several thousand tonnes of chemicals such as sarin, soman or iperite and explosives were dumped after the Second World War.  These chemicals pose a serious threat to navies and civilians. They are also a very serious environmental problem that can only be solved if we know the actual amount and distribution of these war remnants. Neutron activation techniques may be a possible solution.
They are based on the interaction of fast neutrons with the object under investigation, which causes their excitation. This results in the emission of gamma radiation (high-energy light), which can be recorded by a detector. The energies and intensities of this 'light' are the fingerprint of each element, making it possible to reconstruct the stoichiometry and identify the substance without opening the container. The development of our technology will allow low-cost, safe and rapid detection of hazardous substances, and will contribute to the detailed determination of the location and size of the arsenal dumped in the Baltic Sea. As a result, this will affect more efficient planning for the disposal of these chemicals and enhance the safety of the civilian population and the Navy.

Who is going to benefit from the project results?

The results of our project are primarily aimed at companies and institutions involved in mine clearance and the search for hazardous substances on the seabed. They can also be used by the Navy and to protect ports and offshore infrastructure.

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