Development of a method for detecting adulterants in milk using a paper-based microfluidic device
Date23rd Nov 2022
Time03:00 PM
Venue Through Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/amk-adjr-rzq
PAST EVENT
Details
Milk adulteration is a common problem in developing countries, and it can lead to fatal diseases in humans. Despite several studies to identify different adulterants in milk samples, the effects of multiple adulterants remain unexplored. For the first time, seven adulterants (urea, detergents, soap, starch, hydrogen peroxide, sodium-hydrogen-carbonate, and salt) are detected in the milk sample with specificity evaluation and detailed color interference analysis. We used only 10μL of the reagent’s volume for the colorimetric reaction and found the results within a few seconds. Observation reveals that the limit of detection (LOD) of the adulterants lies in the range between 0.05%(vol./vol.) to 0.2%(vol./vol.) using the colorimetric detection technique. The unknown quantity of the added adulterants is measured using the calibration curves obtained from the experimental results. The repeatability and reproducibility of the process, sensitivity, and linear range of detection of the calibration curves, and the statistical study of the color intensity data are thoroughly analyzed herein. We have also made a conceptual design and fabricated a three-dimensional (3D) paper-based microfluidic device to simultaneously detect multiple chemical adulterants in milk. This device comprises a top cover, a bottom cover, and a middle layer composed of transportation and a detection zone. By making cuts on the middle layer’s support, the device’s flow path is characterized by optimum velocity. Only 1 − 2mL of sample volume is required to detect multiple adulterants at one time. In any resource-limited setting, this simple, portable, and user-friendly paper-based microfluidic platform is expected to be used for testing liquid foods before consumption.
Speakers
Mr. Subhashis Patari, ME18D702
Department of Mechanical Engineering