A system using non-ionizing NIR radiation could be incorporated into security cameras to scan airport passengers and others for hidden chemical hazards, such as explosives without compromising passenger safety. David Hutchins and colleagues, University of Warwick, UK, detected the solid explosive ammonium nitrate hidden beneath various clothing materials, from light acrylic to heavy denim.

The detector can be up to 3 m away and the team is not only working on optimizing their method, but also developing it to allow hidden liquids, such as ethanol and hydrogen peroxide, to be identified too.

• Remote identification of chemicals concealed behind clothing using near infrared spectroscopy
  C. M. Canal, A. Saleem, R. J. Green, D. A. Hutchins,
  Anal. Methods 2010, 2.
  DOI: 10.1039/c0ay00386g