A team of researchers from the Gauhati University has developed a cost-effective kit to detect formaldehyde, commonly known as formalin, a substance which consumption can increase the risk of cancer. The colourless pungent gas is used in a variety of industrial processes. It’s also used as a preservative in food items, commonly in fish.
Talking to TOI, Dr Hemen Kumar Kalita, an assistant professor in the physics department of the university, who has been developing the sensor along with six research scholars working under him for the last three years, said they have tested at least 15 samples of fish available in Guwahati markets.
Expressing the motivation behind developing such a sensor, he said, “Formalin is a chemical that is normally used to prevent bodies from decaying, which is often used in fishes to keep them fresh for a long time. As formalin is a carcinogen, it can increase the risk of cancer, if this kind of adulterated fishes are being consumed for a long time. These factors have motivated us to work on the project.”
Currently, the device is in its designing phase. “We are working on the prototype. We are aiming to make it in a way so that it can be carried in pockets,” Kalita said.