Forgot your password?
New user?
Document Actions
New test to detect arsenic contamination in drinking water
by
University of Cambridge
—
last modified
06-05-12 06:41 AM
Contributors:
Phys.org
An economical and easy-to-use biosensor could reduce the chance of being poisoned by arsenic – a common contaminant of wells in parts of Asia.
Bacterial pigments. Credit: Jim Ajioka
Arsenic is one of the most common elements on Earth and is present as arsenic salts in all water. The World Health Organization sets the safe level for arsenic in drinking water at 10 parts per billion. From the Himalayas to Southeast Asia, arsenic levels in drinking water can be more than 10 times that amount, yet the wells are rarely tested. The problem has been termed “the largest mass poisoning of a population in history”, with calls for a reinvigoration of moribund well-testing campaigns. More...
Researchers discover new materials to capture methane