MOF-based sensor for water quality testing
In United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Number 6, addresses the need for access to clean water and sanitation for all. In the worldwide situation, one in three people do not have access to safe drinking water, and two out of five do not have basic hand-washing facilities with soap and water.
Water quality also address to elements dissolved. In the case of fluoride, controlled amount are recommended for protect tooth, e.g. included in toothpaste. Higher levels can cause fluorosis, interfere in tooth enamel formation, correct growth of the bones, and cause crippling deformities of the spine and joints. The incidence of higher concentrations of fluoride in water is higher in rural areas without access to an appropriate water network.
Fluoride in water sources has a geogenic origin instead of anthropogenic, the fluoride concentration in water is determined by geological formations in riverbeds. This, making the fluoride distribution inhomogeneous in the affected regions, finding water sources with safe and unsafe fluoride levels in a close distance. In this case, the fluoride problem could be solved by the local population provided with specific equipment to detect the levels of fluoride in the water and help them to consume safe water.
The equipment cost for fluoride detection is moderate to high, and requires training to be used effectively. This cost is not affordable for the populations in rural areas. For these reasons, the group led by Professor Mutsumi Kimura and Dr. Eugenio Otal from Shinshu University decided to develop an affordable portable equipment which can detect fluoride in a simple manner at low costs, which was recently published in END
Water quality also address to elements dissolved. In the case of fluoride, controlled amount are recommended for protect tooth, e.g. included in toothpaste. Higher levels can cause fluorosis, interfere in tooth enamel formation, correct growth of the bones, and cause crippling deformities of the spine and joints. The incidence of higher concentrations of fluoride in water is higher in rural areas without access to an appropriate water network.
Fluoride in water sources has a geogenic origin instead of anthropogenic, the fluoride concentration in water is determined by geological formations in riverbeds. This, making the fluoride distribution inhomogeneous in the affected regions, finding water sources with safe and unsafe fluoride levels in a close distance. In this case, the fluoride problem could be solved by the local population provided with specific equipment to detect the levels of fluoride in the water and help them to consume safe water.
The equipment cost for fluoride detection is moderate to high, and requires training to be used effectively. This cost is not affordable for the populations in rural areas. For these reasons, the group led by Professor Mutsumi Kimura and Dr. Eugenio Otal from Shinshu University decided to develop an affordable portable equipment which can detect fluoride in a simple manner at low costs, which was recently published in END