Professor Nicole Pamme
Citizen-led pre-concentration and analysis of water pollution at the point-of-need
Project Description
ACTF summer studentship (eight weeks, £200 stipend per week).
Ensuring everyone across the globe has access to clean water and sanitation is one of UN Sustainable Development Goals. The contamination of water by toxic metals (such as As, Pb, Cu, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn) is one of the most ubiquitous forms of pollution across the globe, but in particular in developing countries where industrial, agricultural and domestic waste leach into river and ground water and where water management frameworks are often not in place [RSC Pan-Africa Report]. There is a widespread recognition that regular monitoring of water pollution is required, but established test methods require well-equipped laboratories with trained personnel, and many nations do not have adequate reach to characterise or manage pollution in a timely manner. What is needed are frequent measurements (up to daily), in many locations, in-situ, undertaken by volunteers and members of the community with simple, instrument-free devices.
To tackle this challenge we and others are developing paper-microfluidic dip-stick devices with colour based readout chemistry that can simultaneously measure several pollutants. The idea is that the user simply places the pad into a dish with sample, waits for the colour reaction to occur and takes a photograph which can be uploaded to a database via a smartphone app. Most colour chemistry reactions allow detection at ppm levels, but many pollutants need to be monitored at ppb level or less. The here proposed project will focus on pre-concentration methods that can interface with the paper microfluidic devices for citizen-led on-site analysis of water pollutants.
| Status | Project Complete |
|---|---|
| Value | £1,600.00 |
| Project Dates | Jun 4, 2018 - Jul 27, 2018 |
| Partner Organisations | No Partners |
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