Hummingbird News Desk
CHENNAI, 18 SEP: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have achieved a significant breakthrough in the development of a revolutionary point-of-use, portable tool for detecting heavy metals in soil and water. This groundbreaking technology, designed to be user-friendly even for non-technical individuals, is poised to have a profound impact on agricultural practices and water quality in India.
The research team, consisting of Dr. Sreeram K. Kalpathy and Dr. Tiju Thomas, Associate Professors in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at IIT Madras, along with Ms. Vidhya K.V., Project Scientist, is working tirelessly to create an engineered device that will provide a simple read-out value of soil quality on a mobile phone-like application. Their recent achievement is marked by the filing of a provisional patent for the technology, titled ‘Polymeric thin film-based heavy transition metal detector’ (Indian Patent Application No: 202341040751).
Addressing a Crucial Need:
According to data from the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, over 36,000 rural habitations in India grapple with contamination in drinking water sources, including fluoride, arsenic, and heavy metals. Heavy metals not only endanger water quality but also degrade soil quality, leading to increased soil salinity and posing threats to agricultural yields and human health.
User-Friendly Solution:
Current high-end techniques for heavy metal detection, such as ‘Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy’ (ICP-OES), are complex and primarily accessible in sophisticated laboratories. The IIT Madras research team aims to bridge this gap with a user-friendly, portable device that can be operated by laypeople, offering both social and economic benefits.
Agricultural Impact:
Dr. Sreeram K. Kalpathy emphasizes the importance of the technology in agriculture, stating, “The extensive reliance of the Indian population on agriculture necessitates an immediate technological solution such as detecting and measuring heavy metal concentrations. This would give farmers the information they need for deciding which crops to cultivate and when to make interventions.”
Progress and Timeline:
Currently, the research is focused on enhancing the device’s detection capabilities for Copper, Lead, and Cadmium in parts per million (ppm) levels. Testing with real soil and water samples is underway, with plans to validate and demonstrate the technology in field conditions over the next 3-5 years. The permissible limits of heavy metals in Indian soil, according to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Amendment Act 1999, are outlined as follows (in mg/kg): Cadmium: 3 – 6, Zinc: 300 – 600, Copper: 135 – 270, Lead: 250 – 500, and Nickel: 75 – 150.
Innovative Approach:
Dr. Tiju Thomas elaborates on the technology, stating, “Our technology is based on the idea of adsorbing metal ions onto thin polymer films by dipping them in soil wash water or the water sample to be analyzed. Infrared spectroscopic signals of these films would be compared with a calibrated database to identify and estimate the presence and concentration of heavy metals.”
Ms. Vidhya K.V. adds, “The scientific novelty of the present invention is that characteristic infrared transmission signals of metal ions adsorbed onto polymer thin films are utilized for detection and quantification. The advantages of the proposed technology over existing ones include minimal sample preparation efforts compared to other techniques such as ICP-OES.”
Testing and Validation:
In addition to laboratory-scale testing, the research team is rigorously testing and validating the heavy metal detection capabilities using a variety of soil and water samples, both locally and non-locally sourced.
This innovative project holds great promise for enhancing agricultural practices, safeguarding water sources, and promoting overall environmental sustainability in India. As the research progresses, it is expected to make a substantial contribution to improving the quality of life for rural communities and ensuring food security in the region.
Tags: #IITMadras #Chennai #heavymetaldetection #portabledevice
