analytica 2022 in Munich: Analytics for environmental protection

Whether fine particulate matter, nano-plastics or organic pollutants: What are the instruments that may reliably prove environmental toxins? This question is answered from 21 to 24 June 2022 at no other place but the analytica, the world’s leading trade fair for analysis, laboratory technology and biotechnology in Munich.

About 90 of the meanwhile registered 870 exhibitors of the analytica 2022 are active in the environmental analytics area. They continuously adapt their devices to the requirements; besides the problematic substances known, there are permanently new ones emerging. For example, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): The extremely constant chemicals, integrated in the products of baking paper up to outdoor-clothing, were already detected in diverse environmental samples. At the analytica, Gerstel presents an automatized analysis system that proves already few nanogram PFAS in one liter of water. Many other exhibitors, among those Agilent, Analytik Jena, Bruker, Merck, Waters and Shimadzu offer instruments for the PFAS analytics in their portfolio. The analytica conference, the scientific highlight of analytica, tackles the topic in two lectures with a view to PFAS (22 June at 13.30 h in ICM/Room 3 and 23 June at 13.30 h ICM/Room 5).

No less problematic is the pollution with micro and nano-plastics. The proof of the plastic articles is a challenge, as they may be confused easily with natural solids, such as quartz. FT-, IR- and Raman microscopes render the simultaneous determination of form, seize, height and chemical composition of the particles possible. News on these and further methods at the analytica conference in the session of nano-plastics (22 June from 9.30 to 11.30h in the ICM/Room 4b). Corresponding devices are offered by analytica exhibitors, such as Thermo Fisher, Bruker, Agilent, Horiba, Renishaw and Keyence.

Water and air in the limelight

Water analysts should mark the 22 June in their calendar. At 9.30 h there is a session in the ICM/Room 3 on the evidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and other germs in the water circulation. At lunchtime, there are further lectures on the topic of non-target screening in the water analytics, and in the afternoon the center of attention lies on “Analytics meets digitization” smart sensors and cloud-based monitoring systems.

Air analytics and atmosphere chemists take their turn on 23 June in the sessions “Aerosol and health” (9.30 to 17.00 h in the ICM/Room 4b). The agenda covers among others instruments to monitor aerosols in the surrounding air as well as the underestimated problem of particulate emission by means of ships.

Tips and tools in the analytica panels

Inspiring lectures for environmental analysts and technologists are scheduled in the analytica Forum in Hall B1. PerkinElmer, for example, holds a lecture on 23 June at 10 h about methods for the examination of batteries and their raw materials. On 24 June at 10.30h Teckso presents gas chromatographic instruments for Power-to-X-processes.

One highlight for water analysts is furthermore the Analytik Jena on 22 June at 10 h in Forum Biotech in Hall B3. Under the title “PCR-based epidemiology in water and wastewater”, the company sheds light at the workflow of the Sars-CoV-2-analytics in wastewater.

Whether it is about fighting the pandemic or the containment of undesirable substances, in water, soil and air: What modern environment analytics may perform and how it tackles the global challenges, where it hits the limits and how it intends to overcome it in future, will be discussed at no better platform but the analytica.