Low-cost and small-size measurement solution for arsenic in water

The project develops a measurement method for measuring arsenic concentrations and develops a simple, inexpensive and user-friendly digital technology that would be available both to companies for monitoring industrial discharge water and to private consumers, e.g. monitoring the arsenic concentration in well and drinking water.

Project information

Project duration

-

Project coordinator

University of Oulu

Contact information

Other persons

Project description

Providing access to clean drinking water is a major challenge for water authorities in many countries. Arsenic is a toxic element which causes serious health problems and high levels of arsenic in drinking water are found in Asia, such as India and Thailand, and South and Central America, such as Chile, Argentina, and Mexico. However, an increase in contamination is also reported in the United States and Central European countries. A growing problem, especially in southern Finland, is the quality of drilled wells, where the contamination originates from natural arsenic. Mining activities can increase the risk of water pollution from artificial sources. Because arsenic is often present in rocks and soil as a metal that is not further processed, it is not isolated during mining but is stored with the waste soil. This can cause an increase in the concentration of arsenic locally and contribute to its entry into groundwater. Mining

companies must therefore analyze the concentration of arsenic in effluents and discharges.