Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Science and Technology
Why in News?
Recently, Researchers at IIT Guwahati have developed a portable optical sensing device named E‑Eye The device offers a low‑cost solution for on‑site water quality checks, especially in rural areas.
Key Features
- Detection – Arsenic, lead, iron, chromium, fluoride, and Escherichia coli bacteria.
- Cost – Device priced at about Rs. 3,500; each test around Rs. 2.
- Technology – Operates on Beer‑Lambert law, combining optical sensing with digital electronics.
- Mechnaism
- Uses chemical reaction to produce coloured compounds.
- Colour intensity shows contaminant concentration.
- Converts readings into digital data and displays concentration.
- Accuracy – Results comparable to UV‑Visible and Atomic Absorption spectrophotometers.
Applications
- Water Quality – Direct deployment at water sources; wireless transmission of results to treatment facilities.
- Jal Jeevan Mission – Supports safe tap water supply in rural households.
- Other Uses – Testing environmental and biological samples, vegetables, food products, tea, herbal products, soil, and milk.
- Industrial Monitoring – Helps industries check effluents containing heavy metals, bacteria, and odour‑causing compounds.
Reference
E-Eye | TOI
