Detecting hazardous concentrations of geogenic fluoride in drinking water: translating reagent-free sensorsfrom bench top to back pocket

对饮用水中氟化物的低成本现场检测将改变2亿多生活在低资源环境中的人的游戏规则，这些人暴露在他们饮用的地下水中天然存在的不安全水平的氟化物中。虽然低水平的氟对人类健康有益，但超过1.5毫克/L的水平可能会对骨骼生长和其他健康结果产生毁灭性的影响。虽然氟污染显然不是影响全球10%无法获得安全饮用水的人口的唯一问题，但其慢性影响可以通过不同于典型水处理方案的干预措施来防止，因此单独识别这个问题对于充分解决水和卫生设施的SDG#6至关重要。我们开发了一种简单的方法来检测相应浓度的氟。我们的传感器基于光纤，不需要混合试剂，并避免了传统方法的局限性，传统方法在氯化或混浊的水中不起作用，并且经常产生危险废物。我们简单易用的传感器的下一步是将其微型化，以便将其插入手机，并开发适合最需要技术的用户的设备和接口。为了确保我们瞄准的是正确的市场，我们将与BlueTech Research的顾问合作，进行市场分析，确定最大的需求，并确定进入市场的途径和保护和传播知识产权的战略，以便能够利用这项技术来改善最需要它的社区的生活。

Low-cost, field detection of fluoride in drinking water will be a game changer for the over 200 million people in low-resource contexts who are exposed to unsafe levels of naturally occurring fluoride in the groundwater that they drink. While low levels of fluoride are beneficial to human health, levels in excess of 1.5 mg/L can have devastating effects on bone growth and other health outcomes. While fluoride contamination is clearly not the sole problem impacting the 10% of the global population lacking access to safe drinking water, its chronic effects are prevented by different interventions than typical water treatment schemes, and so separate identification of this problem is critical to adequately address SDG #6 of water and sanitation for all.We have developed a simple method for the detection of fluoride at relevant concentrations. Our sensor, based on an optical fibre, does not require mixing of reagents, and avoids the limitations of conventional methods, which do not work in chlorinated or cloudy water and often generate hazardous waste.The next step for our simple-to-use sensor is to miniaturize so that it works plugged into a cell phone, and to develop a device and interface appropriate for users who most need the technology. To be sure we are targeting the right market, we will work with consultants at BlueTech Research to perform a market analysis, determine the greatest need, and identify a path to market and strategy for protecting and disseminating the intellectual property so that this technology can be made available to improve lives in communities that most need it.