Smartphone-powered water test detects waste contamination in under one minute

Rapid test detects urobilin, a compound associated with human and animal waste.

A reactive test strip emits light when it encounters urobilin, enabling identification within seconds.

The device attaches to a smartphone via a 3D-printed LED module; the phone powers the light and records luminescence in real time.

A single-drop 'drop-and-detect' method: users place one drop of water on the strip and observe the result through the phone.

Developed at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) in Germany; validated with river samples and inflow/outflow samples from a Berlin wastewater treatment plant; faster than conventional microbiological analysis and reduces reliance on centralized labs.