An instrument to measure traces of uranium in water has been developed by a unit of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), an official said today.
The instrument, "Fluorimeter", has been developed by the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), an Indore-based unit of the DAE.
The device, costing Rs 1 lakh, would help in detecting traces of uranium in water. It will be especially helpful in areas like Punjab where uranium traces in water sources have been found to be at dangerous levels, said RRCAT director P A Naik.
"Basically, this instrument was developed to find out uranium deposits in the country, but after getting reports that uranium traces were found in water sources in Punjab, we developed a more advanced version of it in the interest of people's health," Naik told PTI.
He said, "It can be easily taken anywhere and water can be taken from any source for testing. The instrument can instantly reveal if uranium traces are present in water."
"With our continuous research we were able to develop an advanced Fluorimeter costing just Rs one lakh. In the event of mass production, it's cost will further reduce."