The quality of the tap water is a key factor for the public health, and innovative gadgets can keep water safe, says the Danish scientists. In Nordic countries, the refreshing glass of tap water brings no pathogenic bacteria but the new smartphone sensor can detect dirty water contains any E. coli.
E.coli in a tap water can pose a public health risk, but existing methods to detect E.coli are slow and often expensive. Thanks to the new technologies, a small biosensor operated from the smartphone can inform us about the containing bad bacteria in a tap water.
Technically, bacteria E. coli is a normal flora of the mammal intestinal track but in tap water, it can also indicate the presence of other pathogens such as other bacteria, viruses, and parasites. To stay healthy, best avoid these bacteria, say the scientists. Rapid monitoring to detect these pathogens early is essential to protect public health, and smartphone sensor can be extremely useful.
A nano detective on your smartphone and how it works
The World Health Organization (WHO) consider drinking water to be safe and clean when it contains absolutely no bacteria–not a single bacterium in 100 millilitres of water.
To check the water, add the tiny magnetic particles, which are designed to seek out and bind E. coli, then just insert a sensor strip in the water sample. This is another magnet that attracts the DNA-magnetic particles, bound to the E. coli. The strip is then inserted into a device that takes an electrochemical measurement and thereby detects any E. coli in the sample.
