Homeowner water quality testing through use of miniaturized ISE and FET-based sensor arrays

Water quality is a key public and environmental health concern. Many rural communities rely on privately owned wells to provide water; however, these wells are not usually tested regularly and may be dangerously contaminated with bacteria or inorganic materials, such as arsenic or lead. A simple, easy-to-use, handheld water quality testing solution would encourage private well owners to regularly test their water by eliminating costly laboratory testing, sample shipping, and potentially inappropriate sample handling. The proposed project is the development of a multi-analyte sensing platform for the detection and quantification of pathogenic bacteria and a host of inorganic contaminants that simply requires the user to dip the sensor in their water sample. Sensor arrays targeting different markets would enable the industry start-up to provide value to various clients, generate return on investment, and promote greater public health.

Faculty Supervisor:

Ken Oakes

Student:

Partner:

Drinkable

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Cape Breton University

Program: