A father whose daughter died from methanol poisoning in Laos is urging government and private sectors to support the development and implementation of a groundbreaking technology that can detect toxic chemicals in unopened bottles. The plea comes after his daughter, Bianca Jones, and her friend Holly Morton-Bowles, both from Melbourne, died in November 2024 after consuming tainted alcohol during a trip to Laos.
Methanol, a colorless, odorless, and tasteless chemical commonly found in cleaning products, becomes highly poisonous when ingested. It can be illegally added to alcoholic beverages or produced as a byproduct of illicit alcohol manufacturing. Ingesting as little as 25ml of methanol can be fatal, leading to hundreds of deaths globally each year.
Researchers from Adelaide University and St Andrews University in Scotland have spent over a decade developing a set of laser techniques capable of detecting methanol concentrations approximately 10 times lower than established international safety limits. This technology works by directing laser lights through a sealed container, which causes a color change in the liquid based on its composition, thereby creating a unique molecular fingerprint that can be analyzed to identify its ingredients.
"When Bianca went away on the trip of a lifetime, we knew nothing about methanol," said Mark Jones, Bianca's father, in an interview with AAP. "I would just like to have these devices in as many people's hands as possible so what has happened to my beautiful girl and Holly happens to no-one else moving forward."
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While the current technology is confined to laboratory settings, researchers anticipate a handheld version could be available within two years. Ralf Mouthaan, a physicist at Adelaide University and the Centre for Light on Life, suggested that such a device could be integrated into supply chains, including border control, retail outlets, and bars, allowing for immediate checks of alcoholic beverages.
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Ane Kritzinger, a PhD candidate at Adelaide University and St Andrews University, noted that the technology's application extends beyond methanol detection. The principles behind identifying a liquid's molecular fingerprint through its packaging can be applied to a wide range of substances, including olive oil, wine, and perfumes, offering industries a rapid, reliable, and non-invasive method for verifying the contents of sealed containers.