The contamination of groundwater by arsenic is a serious concern due to the acute and long-term effects of arsenic toxicity on human health. Arsenic contamination is observed in at least 70 countries where the concentration of arsenic in drinking water exceeds the WHO provisional limit of 10 μg/L [1]. In Finland, areas with high concentrations of arsenic in groundwater [2], which affects the quality of well water used for gardening, can be found. Arsenic can enter the food chain when vegetables and fruits are watered with contaminated well water. Although the contamination in Finland mostly originates from natural arsenic, the growing number of mining activities presents a risk of additional pollution from artificial sources. Therefore, proper monitoring of the water supply is necessary to ensure safe levels of arsenic in water for human consumption. Currently, reliable methods for arsenic content determination (e.g., AAS and ICP-MS) are time-consuming and must be carried out under laboratory conditions [3,4]. The aim of our project was to develop a compact and inexpensive method for measuring arsenic concentrations in water samples using an electrochemical sensor. The method involves voltametric stripping [5], which allows for the rapid measurement of arsenic at very low concentrations (ppb levels). A handheld potentiostat with measurement and evaluation software and a mobile phone application were also made. This technology is designed for on-field monitoring of arsenic in industrial and residential areas. The project started with the laboratory-scale development of an electrochemical method for arsenic analysis, which was later implemented at a pilot scale in southern Finland. This study was performed under the ARMINE project of the Measurement Technology (MITY-Kajaani) unit of the University of Oulu (Finland) and is one of the application areas of research for health and clean technology.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, A.F., M.K.H. and J.P.O.; methodology, A.F., M.K.H. and J.P.O.; software, S.H. and V.S.; validation, A.F., M.K.H. and J.P.O.; formal analysis, A.F., M.K.H. and J.P.O.; investigation, A.F., M.K.H. and J.P.O.; resources, J.P.R.; data curation, A.F., M.K.H. and J.P.O.; writing—original draft preparation, J.P.O.; writing—review and editing, A.F. and J.P.R.; visualization, A.F., M.K.H. and J.P.O.; supervision, A.F. and J.P.R.; project administration, J.P.R.; funding acquisition, J.P.R. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research was funded by European Regional Development Fund through North Ostrobothnia Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (Pohjois-Pohjanmaa ELY) under REACT-EU program, grant number A77835.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement
Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement
The data presented in this study are available upon request from the corresponding author.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the Pirkkala municipal office, Environmental department, for their recommendations regarding sampling and field test sites. We are also grateful to Harri Vuorenpää for the permission to perform the field test on his land.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
References
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