Detection Of Poisons In Water

Introduction:

The waste produced from agriculture, industries, and other human activities impacts available clean water by reducing the freshwater supply. Numerous contributory factors have been detected that cause water poisoning. As a result, the symptoms from drinking this water can be misdiagnosed on presentation. Along with microbiological toxins, toxic heavy metals, such as lead, arsenic, mercury, and radioactive substances, can be detected. These toxins can be fatal when consumed.

What Are the Poisons Detected in Water and Their Sources?

The poisons detected in water and their sources:

• Arsenic is found as natural deposits in the earth or industrial and agricultural waste.

• Effect on health: Nausea, vomiting, reduces red and white blood cells, damage to blood vessels, etc.

• Treatment of water using reverse osmosis, distillation, and ion exchange.

• Copper is found in mining, copper pipes, farming, and industrial wastes.

• Effects on health include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

• Water is treated using flush faucets by running the water for 15 seconds before use.

• Lead is usually found in wells' pipes, brass fixtures, and packer elements.

• The lead-containing water is treated using a certified filter, removal of the lead source, and flushed water before use.

• Nitrate is found in septic systems, fertilizers, industrial or food processing waste, and animal feedlots.

• It affects health by increasing nitrate levels that reduce blood oxygen supply to the tissues.

• It is treated using ion exchange, distillation, and reverse osmosis.

• Mercury is found in the earth’s crust and is released into the environment from volcanic activity.

• The symptoms differ in degree of toxicity and effects the nervous, digestive, and immune systems, lungs, kidneys, eyes, and skin.

How to Detect Poison in the Water?

Earlier, the water contaminants were detected manually in laboratory facilities wherein the water was analyzed by skillful personnel using cutting-edge technology and high-end technologies.

Water contamination can be detected through multiple fermentation tube techniques, filtration methods, in-situ fluorescence hybridization (FISH), DNA amplification, field-flow fractionation, chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry.

With the technological advancement in analytical chemistry, new techniques were adopted by introducing advanced spectroscopy, water quality sensors, biosensors, and microfluidics. Lately, wireless network sensors have been used as detection techniques for portability.

Detection of Non-biological Contaminants in Water:

Non-biological contaminants include chemical compounds like volatile organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, and synthetic organic compounds that are artificial or natural. Radiological contaminants are atoms or molecules that emit radiation, like plutonium and uranium. Most water contaminants are due to environmental degradation through industrial activities, naturally occurring elements, and agricultural runoff.

• Capillary Electrophoresis - This technique is used for molecular polarity analysis and electrophoretic mobility of radius-based atomic ions. The detection of molecules in aquatic environments is achieved by analyzing their electrophoretic mobility within the wavelength range of 350/20 nm.

• Gas or Liquid Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry is an analytical technique or tool used to measure the molecular weight of the target sample. The liquid chromatography technique detected a selected group of pesticides in drinking and tap water; in which carbaryl, simazine, atrazine, tebuthiuron, diuron, linuron, and ametrine were isolated. The gas chromatography series with nitrogen phosphorous detector reported the detection of eight different types of pesticides in trace amounts in drinking water.

Nicotine in tap water and wastewater at trace levels was detected. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy can measure the compounds with lower molecular weight. Pharmaceutical contaminants were detected using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Sulfamethoxazole and carbamazepine were detected in groundwater and drinking water.

• Perfluorinated chemicals (PFC) are analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy. PFCs are large chemical compounds used in aerospace, building and construction, and automotive industries due to their reduced friction ability. These chemicals are excessively released into the aquatic environment and detected as perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid.

• The field flow fractionation technique works on the principle of external field that is applied perpendicularly to the flow direction within a capillary phase to derive analytes separation. It is used to separate macromolecules and colloids. This technique is helpful for the effective separation of components, ultra-high resolution, adjustable separation ability, minimum shear degradation, and mild operation that allows fragile analysis.

• Microfluidic sensors detect non-biological contaminants like phosphate, mercury, and ammonium ions in water. It also helps in detecting biological pollutants.

• The spectroscopic technique uses a light, electromagnetic radiation source to interact with matter, and a specific probe to detect biological and chemical components of water.

• Biosensors are used to detect pathogens in water. In this technique, the sensors detect molecular signals by applying specific bio-recognition elements such as enzymes, antibodies, nucleic acids, and whole cells that integrate with electrical interfaces via transducer platforms to obtain measurable signals. Since this technique has high sensitivity and does not require a sample pre-concentration step, it offers a faster operational time when compared with conventional methods.

• Wireless sensor networks (WSN) and remote sensing applications are usually monitored online and defined as real-time measurements for analysis and sampling, providing huge data frequency compared to the conventional sample-based methods. It is more flexible and can be conducted remotely for faster response. Advantages include higher detection accuracy, data measurement sensitivity, easy monitoring assessment, and sufficient data sets. It requires low power consumption and is cost-effective. Nitrate concentration was detected using this technique, and waterborne disease-causing bacteria in various water sources.

Conclusion:

Microbiological and chemical components contaminate water when they are present in huge quantities. They are poisonous as they can lead to water toxicity or other severe health conditions. The chemicals in water are detected using various techniques and can be treated by filtration, reverse osmosis, distillation, flushing water faucets, etc. While using underground or well water for drinking, boiling water helps prevent waterborne diseases. One must consult the doctor for early diagnosis and treatment whenever the symptoms are noticed due to water toxicity.