Breakthrough Laser Technology Detects Deadly Methanol Through Sealed Bottles

Researchers have developed a new laser-based technology capable of identifying toxic chemicals, such as methanol, inside sealed beverage bottles. The breakthrough follows the tragic deaths of two Australian teenagers, Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, who died from tainted drinks at a backpackers hostel in Laos in 2024.

Methanol is a highly toxic alcohol used in numerous household and industrial products. When processed by the human body, it converts into formaldehyde and formic acid. Thousands of people suffer from methanol poisoning globally each year, leading to hundreds of fatalities. The dangerous substance is sometimes illegally added to alcoholic drinks, produced accidentally during substandard distillation, or encountered by travellers in popular international destinations.

A Proactive Approach to Safety

Researchers at Adelaide University's Centre of Light for Life have developed a technique to shape lasers so they can verify the presence of methanol through sealed glass bottles.

PhD candidate Ané Kritzinger explained the process: "We make a cone shaping and this allows us to go through the bottle and we avoid all the signals coming from the glass of the bottle," she said. "[Then] we change the colour, or the wavelength of the laser slightly, while we're taking measurements, and this allows us to pick up very small amounts of the methanol that's inside of the bottle."

According to Ms Kritzinger, the technology is highly versatile. "With all of this combined we can detect methanol at a concentration of 0.2 per cent inside any bottle. It doesn't matter which colour the glass is and it doesn't matter whether it's whisky, or vodka or tequila inside the bottle," she said.

Real-World Applications

Ms Kritzinger noted that chromatography remains the current gold standard for methanol detection, a method requiring bottles to be opened and samples analyzed in a laboratory. While she expects that process to continue, she hopes this new technology will provide a practical alternative once engineered into a smaller, portable device.

Researcher Ralf Mouthaan shared this optimism. "When we make this handheld, this could be used for example in distilleries, at bars, at border control; anywhere, really," Dr Mouthaan said.

Ms Kritzinger stated that the technology offers a proactive solution to methanol exposure. "Having a machine like this and really checking before it reaches customers whether it's safe to drink," she said. "The technology is quite simple." She added, "In practice, it should be able to be implemented in real life, and help people."

The research team is also exploring broader applications for the laser technology. "Here in South Australia, we're interested in the wine industry, where we'd like to combat fraud, or the olive oil industry, where we're interested in detecting contaminants in our olive oil," Dr Mouthaan explained. Additionally, Ms Kritzinger suggested the method could eventually detect counterfeit perfume, as well as trace elements of chemicals and microplastics in food and beverages.