Paul Carrington, Managing Director of Aquacheck Engineering
The partners sought to develop an inexpensive rapid-sensing device for evaluating the concentration of lead in drinking water.
WD News: A three-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) for a hand-held device to detect lead in drinking water has been awarded the highest grade possible by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency.
Lead in drinking water can seriously impact human health, especially in young children, where even low levels of exposure have been linked to damage to the nervous system and learning disabilities. The presence of lead is mostly due to legacy use of the metal in plumbing and distribution systems, and almost a quarter of the 25 million domestic properties in England and Wales are estimated to have some lead in the supply network.
The cost of wholesale replacement of those pipes is calculated at around £7 billion, and the risk of exposure to lead through drinking water represents a considerable challenge for the rest of the world too.
Professor Craig Banks, head of research and knowledge exchange in the faculty of science and engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University, said, “We worked to realise the difference in the water industry that is grounded within our fundamental electrochemical research.”
The new device is designed for use by contractors, builders and water companies, and can help water service providers meet the new EU standard on lead in tap water of 5 parts per billion (ppb) by 2030.
Paul Carrington, Managing Director of Aquacheck Engineering said, “This disposable handheld sensor for lead detection is a huge leap from current services and technologies, which require expensive and complex laboratory analysis.”
Source & image courtesy: Aquacheck Engineering
