I-Corps: Low-cost Enrichment Kit for Fast Lead Detection in Water with Low Detection Limit

这个i-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是一种铅浓缩试剂盒，它可以以低成本和低检测下限快速检测水中的铅。饮用水中的铅污染对人类构成威胁。出于对健康的担忧，铅和铜规则将自来水中铅的行动水平设定为15微克/L。考虑到铅对健康的巨大威胁，即使在低浓度下，也有必要定期测量水中的铅。拟议的项目旨在将一种廉价的试剂盒商业化，使其能够以较低的检测下限快速检测水中的铅，以满足铅和铜规则(15 Ppb)。该试剂盒为客户提供了两个主要好处：符合铅和铜规则的铅检测成本(4美元)低于当前试剂盒(11美元)，以及现场样品测量的便利性。I-Corps项目旨在评估我们廉价的铅浓缩试剂盒用于铅检测的商业采用情况。将进行访谈，以帮助确定潜在客户和市场需求，评估新技术的商业化可行性，并优化技术以满足目标客户的需求。受我们目前NSF项目的发现启发，我们设计了特殊的浓缩试剂盒来积累水中的铅，允许使用廉价的检测试剂盒快速检测低浓度水中的铅。此外，拟议的工作将为未来开发和商业化新的浓缩试剂盒提供基础，以检测低检测限水中的其他含水污染物。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is a lead enrichment kit that can allow fast detection of lead in water with low cost and low detection limit. Lead contamination in drinking water is a threat to human beings. Due to its health concern, the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) has set an action level of 15 µg/L for lead in tap water. Considering the great threat of lead to health even with low concentrations, it is necessary to have lead measurements in water at a regular basis. The proposed project aims to commercialize an inexpensive kit which would allow fast lead detection in water with low detection limit to meet Lead and Copper Rule (15 ppb). The kit provides two main benefits to customers: a lower cost ($4) than current kit ($11) for lead detection which meets Lead and Copper Rule and convenience for field sample measurements.This I-Corps project aims to evaluate the commercial adoption of our inexpensive lead enrichment kit for lead detection. Interviews will be conducted to help identify the potential customers and the market needs, evaluate the commercialization feasibility of the new technology, and optimize the technology to meet the demand of targeted customers. Inspired by findings from our current NSF-project, special enrichment kit was designed to accumulate Pb from water, allowing quick detection of lead in water with low concentrations using the inexpensive detection kit. Additionally, the proposed work will provide the basis for future development and commercialization of new enrichment kits to detect other aqueous contaminants in water with low detection limits.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.