The method of checking soil for pollution is quite tedious and long as the soil samples are sent to laboratories and the whole process can take at least two weeks; but it is important to test the soil for any toxicity due to activities of oil refineries, gas plants, and other chemical-producing industries. Ed Bell, a British entrepreneur, wanted to come up with a device that can reduce the time needed for testing and has now succeeded in developing a briefcase-sized unit that can check the soil quality within minutes.
Bell has named his new creation the Safe Soil Tester (SST). Bell and six of his colleagues at Crown Bio Technology Ltd, UK, have worked on inventing this one-of-a-kind device. Presently, the device will be used to test polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a commonly found soil pollutant and a carcinogenic.
The unit mixes soil samples with naturally bioluminescent vibrio fischeri bacteria. Bell claims that the bacteria will die if soil has PAH in it. The bioluminescence of the bacteria will also cease in the contaminated soil sample. The device can be easily carried to the field and gives the results within 12 to 15 minutes. The icing on the cake is that the SST is GPS-enabled, which means that the location of the polluted soil will be indicated on the satellite map of the area, which can be used for future references as well.
Bell knows that his device has the potential to attract many buyers, and as an entrepreneur, he has already started negotiations with military and governmental partners in Europe, the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and the Middle East to develop SSTs. Bell believes that the device could be used for testing other pollutants such as heavy metals, radioactive materials, and disease pathogens. Presently, the SST is priced at GBP 15,000 (US$24,062), with the bacteria costing an additional $72.
Via: Gizmag
