Researchers Develop Cost Effective Ammonia Sensor for Farmers
This technology is aimed at transforming environmental monitoring, removing the cost barriers to farmers and supporting the enhancement of sustainable farming practices.
Efficient detection of ammonia (NH3) is essential for reducing air and water pollution, safeguarding human health, promoting sustainable agriculture, and shaping climate and environmental policies, according to the research team.
Current technologies for NH3 measurement include spectroscopic techniques and sensors that can be expensive, bulky, and impractical for widespread or field applications.
The new silicon nanowire sensor developed by UCC researchers is described as a "promising alternative".
This breakthrough is a result of the EU-funded RADICAL project led by UCC, with the findings published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
The team has stated that the nanowire sensor is sensitive and precise, consumes minimal power, and operates at room temperature, allowing for real-time air quality monitoring.
As the sensor design is compatible with existing technology, it is said to be cost effective and simple to produce.
It reportedly can also quickly and reliably detect ammonia, even in small amounts, and provide a portable solution for use in diverse environments.
Ammonia pollution primarily originates from agricultural activities and poses significant environmental and health risks.
In Ireland, where agriculture plays a major role, ammonia emissions are a critical concern. Urban sources such as vehicle emissions also contribute.
Once in the atmosphere, ammonia reacts with acidic gases to form particulate matter (PM2.5), which is harmful to human health and can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Direct exposure can irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs, the research team has said.
Environmentally, excess ammonia causes water pollution, leading to algal blooms and eutrophication, which harm aquatic life. It also impacts air quality and climate.
Dr. Vaishali Vardhan, lead author of the paper said: 'This new sensor is a powerful tool for both air quality monitoring and research. It is low in cost, small, and suitable for large-scale deployment.
"What distinguishes our technology is the use of bare silicon nanowires - avoiding complex hybridisation techniques - which makes the sensor more affordable and scalable.
"The integration of UV light further boosts its sensitivity, enabling efficient detection of ammonia at low concentrations."
RADICAL project coordinator, Prof. Justin Holmes added: "This pioneering technology is set to revolutionise environmental monitoring in the agricultural sector.
"It will allow farmers to make more informed decisions, benefiting both their businesses and the environment as a whole."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
17 hours ago
- Irish Times
Ireland has potential to become global leader in femtech, report says
Ireland could become a global leader in technology, research and innovation focused on women's health, if the right supports are put in the place, a new report has said. The new report, Femtech in Ireland: The Case for Prioritising Women's Health Research and Innovation, is calling on the Government to prioritise the development of femtech in Ireland, by offering greater supports for femtech research and start-ups, and integrate femtech into national health innovation strategies. Ireland has a strong background in medtech, digital health and pharmaceuticals, but femtech is underdeveloped and underfunded, despite women making up half the population. The report is seeking focused funding calls for women's health research and innovation through State agencies, specific funding to commercialise that research, and the establishment of a femtech lab in a healthcare setting with a fast access to clinicliniciansients, data and a test-bed. READ MORE It s also encouraging researchers, clinicians and academics to investigate conditions that affect women only, differently and disproportionately, highlighting the need for the inclusion of sex and gender analysis in research design. The report, which was produced by Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI), and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at University College Cork (UCC), says improving support for women's health innovation and entrepreneurship could not only address health inequities, but also offer additional economic potential for Ireland, while also strengthening Ireland's life sciences and technology sectors. 'We need to invest in women's health – not just for equality, but because it's smart research, healthcare, and smart economics. There is a real buzz in the femtech innovation sector in Ireland today, with new ideas and start-ups being developed throughout the country,', said Dr Tanya Mulcahy, Director of HIHI and founder of FemTech Ireland. 'We've supported many of them through HIHI, enabling access to clinicians, patients and researchers. It's a sector that is attracting female founders, and provides a new avenue for young researchers, but it's a sector that needs more support- this report is our call to action.' The femtech sector itself is expected to be worth more than $97 billion by 2030, while closing the women's health gap could give the global economy a $1 trillion boost each year by 2040. It could also help unlock new medical treatments and interventions for the wider population. The sector could also encourage more woman founders into the start-up sector, with more than 75 per cent of femtech companies having a woman founder. Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the report was an important step toward better care for women across Ireland. 'It supports the work we're already doing through the Women's Health Taskforce and highlights how innovation can help us go even further.' The report was also welcomed by Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke. Ireland's first programme to support innovation in women's health, Femtech@HIHI, was launched two years ago. It has now supported more than 30 Irish start-ups that developing everything from wearable tech to track menopause symptoms, to smarter devices for pelvic health and fertility, all aimed at supporting women's health. 'We are witnessing extraordinary advances in healthcare technology and innovation,' said Professor John R Higgins, principal investigator of Health Innovation Hub Ireland and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College Cork and Cork University Maternity Hospital. 'In women's health however, a long-standing gap in research has meant that these innovations have not always translated into meaningful solutions. This gap in evidence directly impacts the development of technologies. Now is the time to bridge that divide – with focused funding, targeted research, and innovation supports.'
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- RTÉ News
Is AI making our brains lazy?
Have you ever googled something but couldn't remember the answer a short time later? Well, you're probably not alone. Multiple studies have shown that "digital amnesia" or the "Google effect" is a consequence of having information readily available at our fingertips. It happens because we don't commit the information to memory in the knowledge that we can easily look it up again. According to The Decision Lab, this bias exists not only for things we look up on internet search engines but for most information that is easily accessible on our computers or phones. For example, most of us can't remember friends, family members or work colleagues' phone numbers by heart. So how can we help our brains to remember information? "Writing is thinking," said Professor Barry O'Sullivan from the School of Computer Science & IT at UCC. Professor O'Sullivan believes there are learning benefits associated with Large Language Models (LLMs), but his view is that we should be applying a precautionary principle to them as its such early days. "If you're not the one doing the writing then you're not the one doing the thinking, so if you're a student or you're the employee, the writing really does need to be yours," he said. LLMs with chatbots or virtual assistant chatbots such as Gemini or ChatGPT, have been trained on enormous amounts of text and data and their systems are capable of understanding and generating human language. With these rapid advances in AI certain tasks are now easier, and when used effectively can save time and money, in our personal and working lives. However, there are concerns about critical thinking, creativity and problem solving. Some AI companies claim their models are capable of genuine reasoning, but there's ongoing debate over whether their "chain of thought" or "reasoning" is trustworthy. According to Professor Barry O'Sullivan, these claims "just aren't true." "These large language models don't reason the same way as human beings," he said. "They have pretty weak abilities to reason mathematically, to reason logically, so it really is the big stepping stone, but it's always been the big stepping stone in AI." he added. He cautions people and workers to use these tools as an assistant, and as a sometimes "unreliable assistant". Professor O'Sullivan also warns AI generated answers could contain a biased view of the world, that is when human brain power is needed to apply sense, reasoning and logic to the data. The Google Search Engine was launched in 1998 and is considered a narrow form of AI. Since then, there have been many studies highlighting how the "Google Effect" is a real phenomenon and its impact on how we remember and learn. Launches such as Open AI's chatbot ChatGPT, and more recently Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode search are all relatively new, meaning there has been less time to study the effects. A new study by researchers at the media lab at Massachusetts institute of Technology (MIT) "Your Brain on ChatGPT", divided 54 people aged 18 to 39 into three groups to write essays. One group used Open AI's ChatGPT, one used Google's Search Engine, and the remaining group used no tools; they had to rely purely on brain power. While it was a very small study and in a very specific location (Boston), it found that of the three groups, ChatGPT users had the lowest brain engagement. While in the brain-only group, researchers found they were more engaged and curious, and claimed ownership and expressed higher satisfaction with their essays. The study suggests the use of LLMs, such as ChatGPT which is what they used but is similar to other LLMs, could actually harm learning, especially for younger users. "The MIT study is one source, but there isn't any definitive evidence of that, however the growing amount of evidence does seem to be tipping on that side of the argument that the more we rely on very sophisticated reasoning systems that can automate the process of writing, the less we are thinking," said Professor O'Sullivan. "People should remember that writing is thinking, so when you when you give up the writing to somebody else, you're not thinking anymore and that does have a consequence." Is digital dependence shaping our brains? Whether in education or in the workplace, the use of AI is becoming increasingly prevalent. In a nutshell it does appear to be shaping our brains, but the debate continues over whether it's happening in a negative or a positive way. As a professor in UCC, Mr O'Sullivan ponders over whether table quizzes are as popular as they used to be, and how young people view need-to-know information. "You often hear students saying, "Well I don't really need to know that because if I was out on the job I'd Google it, and wouldn't that be just fine?" "It is to some extent fine for some pieces of information, but it's also important to know why the information is that way, or what the origin is, or why things are that way," Professor O'Sullivan said. There is a skill shift happening with how we and our brains engage with new technology. This is why human judgement and decision making is more important than ever according to Claire Cogan, behavioural scientist and founder of Behaviour Wise. "There is an effect (from AI) on how the brain learns, so there's an impact on brain health. Some of that is relevant to employers, and its very relevant to individuals," said Ms Cogan. AI is useful in the workplace when it can automate mundane or time-consuming tasks such as generating content and extracting key points from large amounts of data. Ms Cogan noted the theory is when people talk about the pluses and minuses, AI should free up time to allow people to do other things. "So as long as that balance is there, it's a good thing. If that balance isn't there, then it's simply going to have a negative impact," she stated. Referring to the MIT study, she assessed it found evidence that using AI can slow attention and have an impact on the working memory. "The brain will go for shortcuts, if there's an easier way to get to something, that's the way the brain will choose," said Ms Cogan. "However, there are still areas where human intelligence far outweighs anything AI can do, particularly around judgment and decision making, and they're going to become more and more important," she stated. "That's the side driven by people, so there's a whole new skill where people are going to have to learn how to judge when to use AI, how to use it, how to direct it, and how to manage it," she said. Does reliance on AI impact on critical thinking in the workplace? Since the late 90s people have been using search engines to find facts. With the advances and sophistication of AI people are becoming more wary, with real concerns about misinformation, disinformation and deep fakes. So while we are relying on AI tools to help find information, it's more important than ever that we engage core human skills in terms of decision making. Ms Cogan believes in an ideal world teachers and lecturers would be almost preparing people for what is going to happen in five or more years. "It's a particular skill to know when and when not to use AI, just teaching the value in decision making because ultimately the overall goal or the aim is defined by the person. There is a skill to making a good decision, and in a work context to know how to arrive at the best decision, that in itself is a whole topic in behavioural science," she said. What's next for our brains? "For our own sake, we need to nurture our brains and we need to look after our brain health," said Ms Cogan. "The best way we can do that is by remaining actively involved in that whole learning process," she said. The authors of the MIT study urged media to avoid certain vocabulary when talking about the paper and impact of generative AI on the brain. These terms included "brain scans", "LLMs make you stop thinking", "impact negatively", "brain damage" and "terrifying findings". It is very early days when it comes to learning about how these technological advances will impact on us in the long term. Maybe in the near future, AI will be able to summarise and analyse data from upcoming studies to tell us if it is rewiring our brains or making them lazy.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Irish Times
Intel warned senior Government figures about high energy costs and planning issues
Tech giant Intel has warned a series of senior Government figures about high energy costs and planning issues threatening Ireland's competitiveness. Semiconductor chip manufacturer Intel is a big employer in Ireland with almost 5,000 staff here and its lobbying on these issues is shown in Government records released under the Freedom of Information Act. Maintaining Ireland's attractiveness to multinational companies is a priority for the Coalition amid the economic uncertainty over last week's trade deal with a 15 per cent tariff imposed on EU goods entering the US. The records include a note of a May 1st meeting between Intel representatives and Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke . READ MORE The document says Intel referenced a recent call between chief executive Lip-Bu Tan and Taoiseach Micheál Martin 'where the energy cost issue was discussed' and 'noted the need for Ireland to take demonstrable actions on this issue'. The Government side said forthcoming plans on competitiveness and large energy users 'would chart a pathway forward on this crucial issue'. Intel also raised issues with Ireland's planning permission regime and how 'unpredictability was a major business-planning obstacle'. The company was told by Mr Burke and an official that legislative changes and investment in resourcing An Coimisiún Pleanála 'should aid on that matter'. Mr Tan's call with the Taoiseach took place on April 14th. Intel described it as an 'introductory meeting' in a Register of Lobbying return, which set out how the company's boss 'reaffirmed Intel's steadfast commitment to Ireland' during the conversation. Separate records show Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers took a tour of Intel's Leixlip campus on the same day. 'Intel highlighted a number of areas that have proved challenging when justifying further investment,' a departmental note said, including the 'complexity and length of the planning process' and the 'comparatively high cost of electricity'. Other records show an Intel representative wrote to then-minister for public expenditure Paschal Donohoe in December telling him Ireland's 'competitiveness is currently under threat, particularly in regard to the cost of electricity'. Intel, which has lost market share in recent years, is undergoing a major restructuring internationally and there have been reports that it plans to cut up to 20 per cent of its global workforce. Some 195 mandatory redundancies are expected at Intel's Irish operations Ireland this autumn. The Irish Times understands these expected job losses are linked to Intel's overall restructuring internationally, and not the issues around energy costs and planning it raised with the Government. An Intel statement welcomed the Government's commitment to publishing a competitiveness action plan. 'To sustain growth and remain competitive, it is crucial to prioritise competitiveness, streamline the planning process, and focus on developing long-term sustainable and competitive energy solutions,' it said. 'We appreciate the meaningful steps the Government has taken to address these challenges.' A Department of Enterprise statement said work on the competitiveness action plan has been accelerated and it will be published in the coming weeks. 'Ireland holds a strong global competitive position, currently ranked seventh worldwide,' it said, adding 'we cannot afford complacency.' It also said Silicon Island, the Government's semiconductor strategy 'is a clear signal of Government support for a sector that is economically and strategically vital'. The department said energy prices 'have reduced from their peak in late 2023' but 'they remain too high' and it set out measures being taken to address this. A national energy affordability taskforce has been established 'to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses'. The statement said the Government has 'prioritised implementation' of the Planning and Development Act, which will 'bring greater consistency, clarity and certainty to the planning system'.
