Incheon to Monitor 'Drugs in Wastewater' with Quantum Technology... Public Safety Demonstration

On May 19, the Incheon Metropolitan Government announced that it will jointly implement the "Quantum Technology-Based Wastewater Drug Monitoring Platform Demonstration Project" in collaboration with Incheon Technopark, GQT Korea Co., Ltd., and other partners.

This project is designed to foster the local quantum industry and to develop demonstration cases in the field of public safety. In partnership with the Incheon Institute of Health and Environment, the city plans to establish a monitoring system that can quickly and accurately detect trace concentrations of drugs in wastewater using quantum sensors.

Incheon City Hall

GQT Korea will verify the performance of detecting ultra-trace amounts of drugs using a quantum technology-based single-photon detector (Si-SPD). Together with participating organization Kartis Co., Ltd., the company will work to implement an integrated platform that collects, transmits, and links on-site detection data in real time. This will enhance data security and provide integrated monitoring and operational management functions, thereby improving the reliability and usability of detection data and supporting the establishment of an on-site drug monitoring system.

Conventional wastewater-based drug analysis is operated as a laboratory-centered precision analysis system, which results in significant time required from sample collection to reporting results.

This demonstration project is significant in that it addresses such limitations by validating the feasibility of a "screening-based monitoring system" that can quickly detect abnormal signs on site. The city expects that this will dramatically enhance its ability to respond to the spread of drugs.

The city plans to continue identifying on-site demonstration cases in areas such as public safety, environment, and health. In particular, by advancing the demonstration ecosystem based on the convergence of quantum, artificial intelligence (AI), and biotechnology, the city aims to proactively respond to the government's designation of the "K-Quantum Cluster" and accelerate the development of a quantum industry ecosystem unique to Incheon.

An official from the Incheon Metropolitan Government stated, "This project marks the first attempt to apply quantum technology to public services in Korea," adding, "We will continue to actively support the demonstration and commercialization of quantum technology by local companies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.