The Ural Institute of the State Fire Service (SFS) of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia presented an innovative development for environmental monitoring. Second-year student Vasilina Zhiltsova, under the guidance of Alexander Koksharov, Head of the Department of Chemistry and Combustion Processes, has developed an indicator powder that allows rapid determination of the presence of hazardous chemicals in water.
The technology is based on a modified sorbent that is placed in a glass tube. When it comes into contact with contaminated water, the powder changes color, which allows visual assessment of the level of danger. Prototypes have already been created for determining acidity and ammonium hydroxide concentration. The method can be especially useful in the field, where there is no access to sophisticated laboratory equipment.
The team is now working to expand the list of substances to be identified and adapt the technology for practical use. The development can be useful not only to rescuers, but also to ecologists, as well as industrial enterprises that need to control water quality.
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