Arsenic contamination remains one of the most serious water-quality challenges worldwide. The toxic metalloid is tasteless, odourless, and highly hazardous to human health. Long-term exposure to arsenic-contaminated water can cause arsenicosis, a chronic and debilitating condition that may lead to severe internal diseases, cardiovascular disorders, neurological complications, and fatal cancers.
The Sensors and Spectroscopy Research Group of the School of Electrical and Computer Sciences (SECS) at IIT Bhubaneswar has developed an affordable, highly sensitive, and field-deployable technology to detect arsenic contamination. The innovation addresses a major public health challenge affecting millions of people across India and several other countries.
As part of efforts to transform laboratory research into practical applications, the research team has manufactured a compact handheld arsenic detection device named “ArsenSafe” with the support of Nano Semic Pvt Ltd, a startup incubated at the Research and Entrepreneurship Park of IIT Bhubaneswar. The startup is led by Sayan Dey and Akshay K, both faculty members of the institute.
Designed for rapid, cost-effective, and on-site water quality assessment, ArsenSafe eliminates the need for sophisticated laboratory facilities and chemical-based testing procedures. The portable device enables accurate detection of arsenic contamination in drinking water, making water testing faster, simpler, and more accessible for environmental monitoring organisations, water treatment companies, industries, non-governmental organisations, and individual consumers seeking to verify the safety of drinking water sources.
According to the research team, the prototype has already achieved a high Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and has successfully undergone testing using water samples collected from the IIT Bhubaneswar campus and surrounding areas.
The development complements the team’s ongoing research in nanotechnology-enabled sensing systems. In a recent study published in the journal Environmental Science: Nano of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), researchers Arijit Pattra, Bathula Sathwik, Himanshu P. Padole, and Sayan Dey reported the development of an advanced microsensor based on reduced graphene oxide and its derivatives for detecting extremely low concentrations of arsenic in drinking water.
The sensor demonstrated the ability to identify arsenic levels that comply with drinking-water safety standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to researcher Arijit Pattra, the technology represents a convergence of nanotechnology and machine-learning techniques aimed at enhancing the sensitivity, reliability, and efficiency of water-quality monitoring systems.
IIT Bhubaneswar officials stated that the research has received international recognition. The editorial board of Environmental Science: Nano invited the study to be featured in its special themed collection on “Nanosensing,” highlighting the scientific significance and practical impact of the technology.
Continuous monitoring of arsenic contamination is essential because inorganic arsenic, As(III), poses severe health risks. Existing graphene-based sensors used for heavy-metal detection generally employ silicon dioxide (SiO₂) or hafnium dioxide (HfO₂) as dielectric materials, while graphene or reduced graphene oxide functions as the sensing layer.
Researchers at IIT Bhubaneswar have developed a novel liquid-gated reduced graphene oxide field-effect transistor (rGO-FET) sensor that combines semiconducting reduced graphene oxide with a graphene oxide dielectric layer. The device can selectively detect extremely low concentrations of arsenic in drinking water.
The sensor demonstrated exceptional performance, registering a maximum response of 500 per cent when exposed to 40 parts per million (ppm) of arsenic. It also achieved rapid detection and recovery, with response and recovery times of just 17.4 seconds and 11.76 seconds, respectively.
One of the most notable achievements of the study is the sensor’s ability to detect arsenic concentrations far below prescribed drinking-water safety limits. The device recorded a limit of detection of only 0.720 parts per billion (ppb) and a limit of quantification of 2.40 ppb at room temperature, enabling highly sensitive identification of trace arsenic contamination.
The sensor also exhibited excellent selectivity, accurately detecting arsenic even in the presence of other metal ions commonly found in water. It remained reusable for up to 70 days while maintaining an accuracy rate of 98.4 per cent, with only a 2.2 per cent variation in performance over time.
To address interference from nickel (Ni II) ions, the researchers employed a linear regression-based machine-learning algorithm to improve arsenic measurement under real-world conditions where multiple contaminants may coexist. The model achieved a strong correlation score (R²) of 0.9732, significantly enhancing the sensor’s quantification capability in mixed-ion environments.
The team also developed an adsorption-based model to explain the sensor’s detection mechanism and operational behaviour, producing encouraging results. When tested using actual tap water and packaged drinking water samples, the sensor combined with the optimised algorithm delivered an accuracy rate of nearly 98 per cent.
Researchers stated that the newly developed rGO-FET sensor outperformed conventional reduced graphene oxide-based arsenic sensors in sensitivity, selectivity, detection speed, and long-term stability. They emphasised that technologies such as ArsenSafe could play a critical role in early detection and prevention efforts, particularly in regions where access to laboratory testing facilities remains limited.
The breakthrough marks a major advancement in real-time water-quality monitoring and demonstrates how cutting-edge nanotechnology and artificial intelligence can be integrated to address one of the most pressing public-health challenges associated with drinking-water safety. With its high sensitivity, portability, accuracy, and field-ready design, ArsenSafe has the potential to become a reliable and cost-effective solution for monitoring arsenic contamination and protecting communities from long-term health risks.
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