Tool designed to help detect hazardous material

It can show the presence of upto 2 ppm of mercury, 4 ppm of arsenic in food, milk samples

A simple tool for detection of hazardous materials and sanitary condition at the rural level has been designed by a scientist at the Mysore-based CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI).

Based on the phenomenon of bioluminescence, or the biochemical emission of light by living organisms, the invention can detect the presence of very low levels of pollutants like mercury, cadmium, arsenic and 2-4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (a remnant of pesticides).

Within half an hour, the device can show the presence of upto 2 ppm of mercury, 4 ppm of arsenic, 16 ppm of cadmium and 100 ppm of 2-4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Besides, it can also detect the presence of 100 cfu (colony forming units) per ml of bacteria in samples of food, milk and fruit juice. The device has been designed using a marine luminescent bacterium and luciferin extracted from a new kind of firefly, a CFTRI release said.

For his invention, Rajiv Ranjan, a junior research fellow, has been awarded the 2014 Gandhian Young Technological Innovations Award. The award is instituted by SRISTI (Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions). He received the award from scientist R A Mashelkar at a function in Ahmedabad recently.