Following NASA’s development of a simplified bacteria test for water quality on the space station, one NASA engineer created a foundation to distribute test kits suitable for use in rural communities around the world. Water contamination is still a major problem in many places, and the test helps local communities and governments obtain and share water quality data using a smartphone app.
On the space station very little goes to waste. This includes water, which is recovered from every possible source, cleaned and recycled. One water purity test that’s required by the Environmental Protection Agency and performed across the country checks for the presence of coliform bacteria, such as E. coli. The existence of such bacteria is an indication of fecal contamination, which can lead to a host of diseases. In the early 2000s, NASA scientists simplified the test so that astronauts could perform it in space without the need for bulky, expensive equipment.
Learn more about how NASA helped develop technology that impacts water quality monitoring within your city's public safety environment!