Researchers in Indonesia have transformed plastic waste into glowing nanomaterials capable of sensing harmful substances in water. At the heart of this breakthrough are carbon quantum dots (CQDs) — nano particles that have a the ability to glow when exposed to ultraviolet light.

CQDs can act as sensors that detect pollutants at the molecular level. Until now, producing CQDs has often required expensive or toxic raw materials. The Indonesian team, however, used waste plastic bags as their starting point.