Aquaffirm’s enzymatic arsenic sensors
Cheap, disposable electrochemistry test strips help communities steer clear of contaminated wells
On any given day, 140 million people in 70 countries are drinking water that is contaminated with arsenic at levels above the World Health Organization’s (WHO) safety threshold of 10μg/l. This makes the known carcinogen the most significant chemical contaminant in drinking water globally.
The problem is particularly pressing in Bangladesh, where as many as 70 million people are affected and one in five deaths is attributed directly to arsenic contamination. The scale of the crisis makes Bangladesh the priority destination for spin-out company AquAffirm, which is about to introduce a rapid, easy-to-use test for arsenic contamination in water.