Speaker
Description
There is reported increase in the concentration of radionuclides and toxic heavy metal contaminants as a result of mining and industrial wastes. The migration of these contaminants into streams and other water bodies have increased the contribution of radioactive materials and toxic heavy metals in drinking water in affected regions. In South Africa, doses due to ingestion of untreated water have been found to be far above the limit set by regulatory bodies like the World Health Organization and the South African National Nuclear Regulator organization. The dose that the public could receive from drinking water poses a potential radiological health risk. Thus, constant monitoring of the level of the contaminants in the drinking water is crucial. This research seeks to develop a micro-controller-based measurement system for non-intrusive monitoring and assessment of radio-nuclides and toxic heavy metal contaminants in drinking water. The system has a great advantage because it is aimed at working in real-time, meaning that it will not require the significant amount of time and labour involved in collection of water samples for laboratory analysis.
