Virtual Booth

Heavy metal contamination in water is a serious and deadly problem. The World Health Organization (2021) reports that over one million deaths each year are caused by lead exposure, with many more affected by copper, nickel, and other toxic metals. These pollutants often come from mining, industrial waste, and agriculture. They can cause irreversible damage to human organs and harm aquatic ecosystems but they often go unnoticed until its too late. Current detection methods such as atomic absorption spectrometers and spectrophotometers are precise but are expensive, large, and only available in laboratories. This leaves the general public and communities without a way to monitor their water safety. AquaMetrix is a portable IoT-based kit uses a TCS3200 color sensor with an Arduino Wi-Fi microcontroller to detect heavy metals in water by measuring color changes of water due to heavy metals. Previous study proved the TCS3200 sensor achieved accuracy rates between 95.5% and 99.7% on average (Dewantara & Yulkifli, 2020). With the AquaMetrix , each test automatically uploads GPS data and results to a cloud platform to crowdsource information, this create a live online map showing contaminated and safe areas. Communities and authorities can identify pollution hotspots and take quick action to prevent health problems and environmental damage before it is too late Furthermore, the AquaMetrix is lightweight, affordable, and as easy to use as a COVID-19 self-test. AquaMetrix allows anyone to test water anytime, anywhere. It connects lab-quality testing to public use, directly supporting SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water). By making water testing and monitoring a community effort, AquaMetrix provides more than just a device. It offers a nationwide early warning system and protecting communities one water test at a time.