Science Elements podcast highlights chemistry for search-and-rescue missions

The June feature of Science Elements, the American Chemical Society's (ACS') weekly podcast series, shines the spotlight on devices that use chemistry to locate people trapped in collapsed buildings. The episode is available at http://www.acs.org/scienceelements.

Every second counts when people are trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building. As survivors breathe in a confined space, oxygen levels go down and carbon dioxide levels go up, a potentially lethal combination. People also can have severe injuries from the falling walls and other debris.

In the episode, Milt Statheropoulos, Ph.D., discusses work that he and colleagues across Europe have been doing on a project called "Second Generation Locator for Urban Search and Rescue Operations." It includes an automated network of chemical sensors, as well as a portable device that rescuers can take into the field with them. Most recently, they developed a vapor, or scent, generator that workers can use to train rescue dogs.

Other recent topics of Science Elements podcasts include:

Beer made from fossilized yeast is ready to make a splash
A sustainable paint that repels barnacles
How new pressure sensors could lead to safer cars

Provided by American Chemical Society