An Electronic Tongue Method for Detecting and Quantifying Arsenic in Contaminated Drinking Water

Arsenic contamination in drinking water poses a critical health threat to millions, especially in regions reliant on groundwater sources like tube-wells. Conventional detection methods are often costly, lab-dependent, and inaccessible to rural or economically disadvantaged communities. In this groundbreaking work, Dr. Pralay Kumar Chakraborty introduces an innovative, cost-effective solution — an electronic tongue (e-tongue) system capable of detecting arsenic levels directly in the field with high accuracy and minimal interference from other metals like copper. This book documents the design, testing, and validation of a portable hardware-software integrated system that utilizes Square Wave Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (SWASV) to identify arsenic concentrations ranging from 5 ppb to 250 ppb. With clear advantages over commercial potentiostats in both affordability and portability, the proposed e-tongue was validated using real water samples from arsenic-affected zones in West Bengal, India. Key features include: Novel low-cost detection hardware and C# software integration Field-tested accuracy with minimal copper interference Validation against standard AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy) results Practical implications for scalable arsenic monitoring in rural and urban areas A vital contribution to environmental science and public health, this book offers engineers, researchers, and policymakers a real-world solution for arsenic detection that could transform water safety protocols in developing regions.