A scientist in India has developed a simple and cheap test that detects contamination in any water source and could save millions of lives.
The portable kit consists of a small plastic vial and a colorless layer that turns pink when placed in contaminated water, according to the Times of India.
The innovative solution, developed by Dr. Soumya Haldar, a researcher at Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI) in Gujarat, could have a major impact on communities where safe water is scarce.
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With more than one billion citizens, India has the second largest population in the world, yet 163 million lack access to safe water in the country. In the village of Palwe Budruk in the western region of Maharashtra, for example, finding drinkable water was a daily hardship until its municipal government developed a freshwater management system. The village’s lack of safe drinking water meant people spent hours fetching potable water and were vulnerable to illnesses commonly found in contaminated water.
Drinking contaminated water can lead to the transmission of a number of waterborne diseases including cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. The health effects of these diseases can mean severe diarrhea, reproductive problems, and even neurological disorders.
In India, 37.7 million people are impacted by waterborne diseases. Haldar’s one-step clean water test will be a significant step in helping India and communities around the world secure clean water for their residents.
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The invention is welcome progress, and Haldar is set to receive the Biotech Product, Process Development and Commercialization Award from President Ram Nath Kovind for his achievement on Friday.
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