Open-source mobile water quality testing platform

The developing world remains plagued by lack of access to safe drinking water. Although many low-cost methods have been developed to treat contaminated water, low-cost methods for water-quality testing are necessary to determine if these appropriate technologies are needed, effective, and reliable. This paper provides a methodology for the design, development, and technical validation of a low-cost, open-source (OS) water testing platform. A case study is presented where the platform is developed to provide both the colorimetry for biochemical oxygen demand/chemical oxygen demand and nephelometry to measure turbidity using method ISO 7027. This approach resulted in equipment that is as accurate, but costs between 7.5 and 15 times less than current commercially available tools. It is concluded that OS hardware development is a promising solution for the equipment necessary to perform water quality measurements in both developed and developing regions.

[1]  R M Conroy,et al.  Solar disinfection of drinking water protects against cholera in children under 6 years of age , 2001, Archives of disease in childhood.

[2]  R. Buamah,et al.  Adsorption of fluoride from aqueous solution using low cost adsorbent , 2013 .

[3]  Isaac CH Fung,et al.  Water, sanitation and hygiene for the prevention of diarrhoea , 2010, International journal of epidemiology.

[4]  J. J. Simonis,et al.  Manufacture of a low-cost ceramic microporous filter for the elimination of microorganisms causing common diseases , 2013 .

[5]  Joshua M. Pearce,et al.  Viability of Small-Scale Arsenic-Contaminated Water Purification Technologies for Sustainable Development in Pakistan , 2011 .

[6]  J. Potash,et al.  Effects of improved water supply and sanitation on ascariasis, diarrhoea, dracunculiasis, hookworm infection, schistosomiasis, and trachoma. , 1991, Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

[7]  Petr Grau.  Low cost wastewater treatment , 1996 .

[8]  Joshua M. Pearce.  The case for open source appropriate technology , 2012, Environment, Development and Sustainability.

[9]  Mark D Sobsey,et al.  Microbiological effectiveness of locally produced ceramic filters for drinking water treatment in Cambodia. , 2010, Journal of water and health.

[10]  Takashi Asano,et al.  Wastewater reclamation and reuse in Japan: overview and implementation examples , 1996 .

[11]  R M Conroy,et al.  Solar disinfection of water reduces diarrhoeal disease: an update , 1999, Archives of disease in childhood.

[12]  Fadi P. Deek,et al.  Open Source: Technology and Policy , 2007 .

[13]  D. Sur,et al.  In-house contamination of potable water in urban slum of Kolkata, India: a possible transmission route of diarrhea. , 2012, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[14]  Joshua M. Pearce,et al.  Open-Source 3D-Printable Optics Equipment , 2013, PloS one.

[15]  D. Hongve,et al.  Comparison of nephelometric turbidity measurements using wavelengths 400–600 and 860 nm , 1998 .

[16]  C Newton,et al.  Recirculating gravel filters: high-performance treatment at low cost for two small communities. , 2008, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[17]  Erik Stokstad,et al.  Network science. Open-source ecology takes root across the world. , 2011, Science.

[18]  Slavea Chankova,et al.  A community-based approach to promote household water treatment in Rwanda. , 2012, Journal of water and health.

[19]  Kara L Nelson,et al.  Assessment of a low-cost, point-of-use, ultraviolet water disinfection technology. , 2008, Journal of water and health.

[20]  Scott Davidson,et al.  Open-source hardware , 2004, IEEE Des. Test Comput..

[21]  Kazuo Yamamoto,et al.  A low cost technique of arsenic removal from drinking water by coagulation using ferric chloride salt and alum , 2002 .

[22]  Joshua M. Pearce.  Open-Source Lab: How to Build Your Own Hardware and Reduce Research Costs , 2013 .

[23]  Miklas Scholz,et al.  Application of solar disinfection for treatment of contaminated public water supply in a developing country: field observations. , 2013, Journal of water and health.

[24]  Joshua M. Pearce,et al.  Optimizing the solar water disinfection (SODIS) method by decreasing turbidity with NaCl , 2012 .

[25]  K. Wannemuehler,et al.  Microbiologic effectiveness of boiling and safe water storage in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. , 2011, Journal of water and health.

[26]  Kevin G McGuigan,et al.  Solar disinfection of drinking water and diarrhoea in Maasai children: a controlled field trial , 1996, The Lancet.

[27]  Joshua M. Pearce,et al.  Building Research Equipment with Free, Open-Source Hardware , 2012, Science.

[28]  Q. Mahmood,et al.  Development of low cost household drinking water treatment system for the earthquake affected communities in Northern Pakistan , 2011 .

[29]  T. Clasen,et al.  Faecal contamination of drinking water during collection and household storage: the need to extend protection to the point of use. , 2003, Journal of water and health.