AroTrack:
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) have developed a water-pollutant detecting device called ‘AroTrack’.
- AroTrack accurately detects harmful aromatic xenobiotic pollutants such as phenol or benzene, xylenols.
- It uses proteins typically found in bacteria living in heavily polluted environments to effectively identify multiple aromatic pollutants in water.
- This protein undergoes a highly selective ATP hydrolysis chemical reaction if an aromatic compound is present in the sample.
- This reaction is expressed with a change in the colour of the protein solution, which AroTrack can then detect.
- AroTrack contains a light emitting diode [LED]-phototransistor assembly that shines a light of appropriate wavelength through the sample and detects how much is absorbed.
- The key component of the device is a biosensing module called MopR – a sensitive sensor for detecting phenol.
- The device also reliably worked in water temperatures up to 50 degrees Celsius and completed the tests in less than 30 minutes.
- It’s low cost, battery-operated nature, and portability can be ideal for rural and low-income settings that often lack resources and have difficulty accessing expensive laboratory tests.
