Innovative research solutions identified to help the world's most vulnerable people.

A team of researchers from the UK, Argentina and Mexico have been awarded a GCRF Translation Award to develop a device for open-source measurement of lead contamination in drinking water.  The team of 6 institutions, led by Royal Holloway Physics, aims to deliver an open-source, low-cost device to measure lead (Pb) contamination in drinking water, building upon STFC research in dark matter, together with bio-sensor research on bacteria fluorescence. The motivation for developing new Pb measurement techniques is that Pb pollution is the #1 cause of loss of life expectancy in the world.  This project will use semi-conductor sensors from particle physics together with bio-sensors and acquire the data via a mobile phone application. This objectives are to develop the device, and benchmark its performance against conventional techniques in the UK, Argentina and México.