The Flint (Michigan) drinking water contamination crisis brought national attention to lead contamination in drinking water systems. Between 6,000 and 12,000 residents (including children) had severely high levels of lead in the blood and experienced a range of serious health problems. Therefore, rapid and accurate water quality test for various contaminants such as lead (Pb) ions at the point of use is a core requirement for drinking water safety.
This project aims to: (1) validate a prototype handheld device for lead ion detection using Flint water samples and improve the handheld device performance, and, (2) enable rapid screening of Flint water for lead ions during the pipeline retrofitting, during seasonal transition from winter to summer, and after, at various point-of-use systems. This RAPID project will contribute to the development of a rapid and low-cost detection method for lead ions in Flint water using a handheld device. Similar to the glucose meter for home use, the handheld device consists of a meter and a disposable (one-time use only) sensor test strip based on reduced graphene oxide. The device is capable of detection of lead ions in water at a concentration well below the maximum contaminant level defined by the US EPA. In this project, the prototype handheld device will be validated for rapid lead ion detection in Flint water samples, which is representative of lead-contaminated drinking water. The resulting handheld device will then be used to enable rapid screening of Flint water for lead ions during the pipeline retrofitting, during seasonal transition from winter to summer, and after new point-of-use systems being developed. The anticipated result of the proposed project is a reliable and rapid point-of-use handheld device for lead screening in drinking water.
