The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project addresses lead poisoning in drinking water. Currently, there is a lack of devices that continuously monitor lead on the market. As a result, in multiple cities across the US, thousands of children are exhibit increased lead concentration in their blood. This project will develop a lead monitoring system for drinking water that will be accessible, inexpensive, and simple to operate in households. The device will operate in a similar manner to a fire alarm alerting households when lead concentrations exceed safe levels. The innovations in this research will enhance the scientific and technological understanding of mechanisms and devices to detect low concentrations of toxic metals in water. The proposed research will build an Accademia-Industry partnership needed to address lead poisoning in drinking water through continued monitoring by an advanced sensor. The industrial partner commits to commercializing the technology from the proposed research and to bring the sensor to the market.

The proposed project is focused on creating a sensor and related technology for measuring lead concentrations in drinking water. Reliable detection and quantification of low concentrations of lead in water is a challenging but important task, given the negative health impacts of this heavy metal, particularly on children. Currently, there is a lack of continuously monitoring lead devices on the market. To address this, a new sensing element is proposed based on carbon nanotube fibers that lower the limit of detection and allow the sensor electrode to be miniaturized. The sensor uses an electrochemical analytical technique to sense lead in water. This approach offers simultaneous multielement detection for lead, copper, cadmium and mercury with 3.5 parts per trillion limit of detection for lead, outperforming any similar devices. Due to its simplicity and compactness, the sensor allows deployment in industrial facilities processing water as well as in households. Factors that control the reliability and robustness of the sensors and electrochemical reactions will be determined in preparation of the device for mass production by a leading national water processing industry. The main goal of this project is to provide water consumers with a simple and inexpensive tool for lead quantification.

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.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
2016484
Program Officer
Jesus Soriano Molla
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2020-08-15
Budget End
2023-07-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2020
Total Cost
$549,998
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Cincinnati
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Cincinnati
State
OH
Country
United States
Zip Code
45221