New Research Highlights Dangers of Ethanol and Benzene

Strategic Insights -

Research conducted at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University has found that ethanol and benzene pose significant threats to climate change, human health, biodiversity, and long-term ecosystem balance. The study utilized a new photonic crystal fiber (PCF) sensor, which leverages terahertz (THz) technology to detect ethanol and benzene with high accuracy. The findings have significant implications for industrial safety and environmental monitoring.

Key Takeaways:

  • The PCF sensor developed in the study achieved relative sensitivities of 96.35% for ethanol and 97.05% for benzene at a frequency of 2.2 THz.
  • The sensor's hexagonal outer cladding layer and six-sided center configuration enhance its performance and accuracy.
  • The study identified various traditional detection methods as inferior to the proposed PCF sensor, which demonstrates high sensitivity and promising potential for future applications.
  • The research highlighted the need for accurate identification of ethanol and benzene to ensure human safety in the environment.
  • The study's results show that the PCF sensor can detect ethanol and benzene with high accuracy, outperforming traditional detection methods.

Statistics:

  • Relative sensitivities: 96.35% for ethanol and 97.05% for benzene at 2.2 THz frequency.
  • Effective Material Loss (EML): 0.0032 cm-1 for ethanol and 0.0024 cm-1 for benzene.
  • Effective Area: 6.88 x 10-8 m2 for ethanol and 7.79 x 10-8 m2 for benzene.
  • Confinement Loss (CL): 1.84 x 10-7 dB/m for ethanol and 1.89 x 10-7 dB/m for benzene.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Studies from Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University Provide New Data on Climate Change (Advanced THz Optical Sensor for Ethanol and Benzene Detection: A Step towards Safer Industrial and Environmental Monitoring). Global Warming Focus. August 4, 2025; p 1684.
  • Advanced THz Optical Sensor for Ethanol and Benzene Detection: A Step towards Safer Industrial and Environmental Monitoring. Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research, 2025, 49(): 100846. (Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/sensing-and-bio-sensing-research/)
  • A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi-org.sdpl.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.sbsr.2025.100846.