TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A collaboration between two universities and a hospital has developed a bridge-shaped nano-membrane chip capable of detecting lead levels in blood.

When the chip’s sensing layer comes into contact with lead ions in the blood, its membrane structure changes. Sensors at both ends of the chip detect this, converting it into a signal that measures the amount of lead in the blood, per CNA.

The chip was developed by Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, National Taipei University of Technology, and Chang Gung University.  

Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Clinical Poison Center Director Yen Tzung-hai (顏宗海) said the newly developed chip is low-cost and highly sensitive. It requires only a single drop of blood for one-time use and delivers results within 10 minutes. 

The research findings were published in the international medical journal Analytica Chimica Acta in December, Yeh said.

This test can help doctors quickly determine whether an individual is showing signs of lead poisoning. Yeh highlighted that traditional blood lead testing is costly, typically requires complex laboratory procedures, and takes a significant amount of time to produce results.

Yeh said common sources of lead exposure in Taiwan include some herbal medicines, lead water pipes, lead-based paints, and ceramics or toys containing lead-based pigments. He added that lead poisoning can cause a range of health issues, such as anemia, abdominal cramps, cardiovascular disease, kidney problems, and infertility.

The environment ministry reported that traditional Chinese medicine and crops grown in lead-contaminated soil are additional sources of lead poisoning. The ministry added that consuming foods rich in calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin C can help the body eliminate lead.

Yeh added that most buildings in Taiwan over 40 years old were fitted with lead water pipes instead of stainless steel ones.