Superfund Research Program

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April 2025

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Superfund Research Program Center developed and evaluated a novel sensor for detecting a cancer-causing chemical, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), in water. The new approach allows for one of the lowest detection limits reported to date.

NDMA and related nitrosamines, found in drinking water, food, and pharmaceuticals, have been linked to cancer and liver toxicity. Standard detection approaches require sophisticated and expensive laboratory equipment, so scientists created a practical, cost-effective approach for detecting NDMA to better protect public health.

This new reversible electrochemical sensor expands on recent innovations in molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP), which have cavities that bind to specific molecules like NDMA.

To learn more, see the NIEHS Environmental Factor Newsletter.