(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new mathematical formula to calculate the concentration of particles suspended in a solution. The new approach, which yields more accurate results than current methods, can be used to deliver the correct drug dosage to patients, measure the amount of nanoplastics in ocean water, and help ensure the correct level of additives in food products, among other applications. The researchers published their findings in Analytical Chemistry.

NIST engineer Elijah Petersen, who helped test the new formula, says, “This new formula has the potential to help advance nanotechnology applications, such as food packing and preservation, and the fabrication of microchips and electronic devices. It improves upon current methods by correcting for a common bias that assumes that particles are uniform in size.”

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