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Toxbox |
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Nowadays the presence of toxic components in water can be measured with chemical and biological assays. The Dutch industry is capable of discharging approximatly 5 million toxic components to our environment. The law subscribes to test for the absence of 260 toxic components with chemical assays. To guaranty the quality of our drinkingwater it is necessary to prove the absence of toxic components. This can be performed by biological early warningsystems. The current early warning systems are based on the use of “higher developed organisms” such as Daphnia, zebra fish or sweet water mussels. These testmethods lack of specificty and sensitivity. AquaExplorer is intended to develop the Toxbox: an autonomous, sensitive and semi specific technique for rapid detection of several groups of biotoxicity.
The Toxbox its test is based on bacteria and can be used for the detection and quantification of several groups of toxic components in very low detection ranges. It is possible to use the Toxbox as an inline unit that can perform on its self for several weeks, putting its data online. Moreover, the Toxbox can also be used as a multitude device performing analyses on a lab.
Because the technology can performe autonomous and the results are available within hours, it is an excellent methodology to use as an early warning system. Classifying toxic components can for example result in a more accurate and specific choice for treatment and purification methods to solve problems.
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Purpose
Development and design of an autonomous detection system for measuring toxicity in for example drinkwater distribution networks.
Description
Within project SAWA, Aqua Explorer has the opportunity to develop an inline sensor for monitoring the quality of drinkingwater.
Deliverable
An inline system functioning as an early warning system for the detection of toxic pollutants at very low ranges in for example drinking water, surface water, during fermentation processes and on behalf of REACH the new European Community Regulation on chemicals.
Cofinanced by SNN program 'Pieken in de Delta, Koers Noord'
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