Chemosensing portable kit for rapid detection of acrylamide in water

Overview

This solution addresses the need for rapid, field-deployable detection of acrylamide in drinking water. Acrylamide is a known contaminant that can form during certain industrial processes and high-temperature food preparation, making timely monitoring important for water safety. The proposed chemosensing kit offers a low-cost, user-friendly alternative to conventional laboratory analysis, enabling on-site screening by non-specialist users.

The kit is designed in two complementary formats. The first is a paper-based colorimetric test strip that produces a visible color change in the presence of acrylamide, allowing users to compare results against a calibrated color scale. The second is a portable digital image-based sensor that captures the color change and translates it into a specific RGB value through a companion mobile application, enabling semi-quantitative readout without the need for laboratory instrumentation.

Technical specifications

Two detection formats:

• Paper-based test strips: Single-use strips pre-loaded with sensing dye solution, designed for visual color comparison against a calibrated reference scale
• Digital image-based portable sensor: Captures dye color change and outputs a unique RGB value through a mobile application for semi-quantitative detection

Sensing chemistry:

• Colorimetric dye-based detection with visual color change in response to acrylamide
• Response time of less than 60 seconds in preliminary testing
• Linear decrease in UV-Visible absorbance intensity with decreasing acrylamide concentration
• Dye formulations tested include azo dyes, indigo carmine, azocarmine G2, neutral red, benzidine derivatives, methyl orange, starch-iodine, eosin blue, m-Kresolpurpur, and alizarin yellow, with potential for composite and additive-enhanced formulations
• High demonstrated dye stability under varying temperature and humidity conditions
• Sensitivity enhancement planned through doping and catalytic additives

Supporting expertise: The team has prior validated experience in colorimetric sensing, including paper-based trimethylamine detection (LOD 4.5 ppm), breath-based diabetic ketoacidosis detection (LOD 0.0217 ppm acetone, 0.029 ppm ethanol), and colorimetric detection of methanol and formic acid (LOD 0.033–0.066 ppm).

Technology readiness level

The technology is at an early-to-mid stage of development. Three candidate dyes have been screened, and two have shown visual color change response to acrylamide within 60 seconds, with linear absorbance behavior confirmed by UV-Visible spectroscopy. Dye stability under varying temperature and humidity has been demonstrated. Next-stage validation will involve screening additional dye candidates and composites, optimizing sensitivity through doping and catalytic additives, and refining both the paper-strip and image-based detection workflows for reliable field use.