| Water Quality Testing Kits for Field Use |
| About field testing kits: |
| Water is tested in laboratories to find out the minerals present in it along with parameters like pH, conductivity, colour and turbidity. The tests help establish the presence of any parameter and the extent to which it is present in a particular water. Most of the tests are done using the time tested method of titration, using laboratory glassware like burettes, pipettes, conical flasks and beakers. This method still prevails although modern instruments like spectrophotometers, chromatographs, etc have started making their presence felt for testing parameters where the titration method cannot be used. |
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| Since it is not possible to carry delicate glassware out into the field for field tests, several companies/agencies/NGOs/Government laboratories have done a lot of work to bring out kits which use the titration principles but are light, can stand up to rough
'travel' and still give fairly accurate results. These are field test kits which can be used anywhere and by anyone who can read the instructions. Titration involves using a chemical solution of a known strength in a burette to be added to a sample of water to be tested in a beaker/conical flask. A chemical indicator solution is also added to the water before titration. The solution from the burette is added to the sample in carefully controlled drops with the sample being continuously stirred. This addition is stopped when the colour of the sample changes. The burette reading taken after colour change is multiplied by a specific numerical factor. This gives the quantity of the parameter tested for in the water in terms of mg/litre or parts per million (pm). All titration tests are colorimetric tests where a change in colour is an indication that the presence/absence of the parameter being tested had been ascertained. |
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| Most of the field test kits operate on the same principle. The kit consists of a sample bottle with a marking on it to indicate that the sample to be tested must be filled up to that mark. Another bottle contains the required chemical solution (which in a lab would be in the burette). This bottle would have a dropper fitted on it. Depending on the parameter to be tested, there would be a small dropper bottle containing the indicator solution (tests for certain parameters may not need such an indicator).To use this kind of a kit, the sample bottle is first rinsed with the water to be tested and then filled up to the mark. The solution from the dropper bottle is added to this sample after adding the recommended drops of indicator solution, a drop at a time, counting each drop. When the colour of the sample changes, the addition of the solution is stopped, number of drops added is multiplied by a factor given in the instruction manual to arrive at the quantity of the parameter in mg/litre of water or ppm. |
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| Test kits used for testing the bacteriological content in water are slightly different. Some have a bottle in which the sample of water to be tested is put and into which another solution is added. It is then shut and kept for a period of several hours or overnight. If, at the end of this period, the sample has acquired a colour as given in the instructions, it indicates that the sample is bacteriologically contaminated, otherwise not. Another kit used for such tests is called a
'dip slide'. It consists of a slide made of an inert plastic material coated with a nutrient which is kept inside a sealed container. This slide is taken out of the container by breaking the seal of the container, dipped into the sample of water to be tested and then kept aside for several hours or overnight. If, at the end of this period, the slide has acquired or changed colour it is an indication that the sample is contaminated. Tests for bacteriological contamination using such kits only indicate the presence or absence of contamination (also called a GO/NO GO result) and not its extent. |
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| It is important to remember that all such kits have a shelf life. Once this has expired, the kits must not be used as results will be wrong or inconsistent. Given below is a table of the kits available in the market indicating the parameter, name and manufacturer/supplier from whom they can be procured. The accuracy of the results may not be as accurate as those done in a laboratory. It may be in the range of +/- 5. In the table below, where a multiparameter kit is indicated but not the parameters, it is usually for the parameters which determine the potability of water. |
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| << hide information |
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The H2S Strip test is a simple kit for a first testing of bacteriological contamination. The test is being sold by a couple of vendors and the price ranges from Rs 10/- to Rs 20/- per piece.
>> More details here |
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| List of Kits { Download the entire table in word | pdf | html } |
| Type / Name of Kit |
Parameter |
Cost (Rs.) |
| Kits made / sold by Development Alternatives >> Details |
| Jal TARA WTK-14 |
14 parameters |
7913.00* |
| Jal TARA WTK-11 |
11 parameters |
7238.00* |
| Jal TARA Mini Kit-I |
Fluoride |
1220.00* |
| Jal TARA Mini Kit-II |
Nitrate |
1474.00* |
| Jal TARA Mini Kit-III |
Iron |
1475.00* |
| Jal TARA Mini Kit-IV |
Free chlorine |
1138.00* |
| Jal TARA Mini Kit-V |
Arsenic |
3073.00* |
| Jal TARA - Set of 10 tests |
Coliform bacteria |
290.00* per set |
| * denotes the cost is inclusive of Basic price, Applicable tax(VAT/CST) and Freight charges. |
| Kits made / sold by Rakiro Biotech Systems Pvt Ltd. >> Details |
| Aquasol test Kits (drop titration kit) |
Fluoride |
625.00 |
| Aquasol test Kits (drop titration kit) |
Free Chlorine |
240.00 |
| Aquasol test Kits (color comparison) |
Nitrate |
700.00 |
| Aquasol test Kits (color comparison) |
Iron up to 1.0ppm |
825.00 |
| Aquasol test Kits (color comparison) |
Iron up to 10.0ppm |
800.00 |
| Bactaslyde test kit ( bacterial slide) |
Total Bact.count & e coli |
810.00 |
| Kits made / sold by Ion Exchange (I) Ltd. >> Details |
| Easy Test Kit |
Iron |
2840.00 |
| Easy Test Kit |
Free Chlorine |
1120.00 |
| Easy Test Kit |
Fluoride |
1120.00 |
| Easy Test Kit |
Nitrate |
1245.00 |
| Easy Test Kit for potability of Water |
8 parameters |
13000.00 |
| Easy Test Kit |
E coli |
500.00 |
| Kits made / sold by Sumeet Instruments & Chemicals >> Details |
| Arsenic Test Kit |
Arsenic |
2500.00 |
| Nitrate Test Kit |
Nitrate |
3000.00 |
| Fluoride Test Kit |
Fluoride |
3200.00 |
| Iron Test Kit |
Iron |
3200.00 |
| Multi Parameter Test Kit |
10 parameters |
11500.00 |
| Kits made / sold by M/s Innoventure, L-Tek Systems >> Details |
| Fluoride Test Kit (devpd.by NEERI) |
Fluoride |
Not Available |
| Fluoride Test Kit (devpd.by BARC) |
Fluoride |
Not Available |
| Fluoride Test Kit (devpd.by NCL) |
Fluoride |
Not Available |
| Residual Chlorine Test Kit |
Residual Chlorine |
Not Available |
| Iron Test Kit |
Iron |
Not Available |
| Nitrate Test Kit (devpd.by NCL) |
Nitrate |
Not Available |
| Kits made / sold by IIT, Mumbai & Media Lab Asia >> Details |
| Polysensor (electronic Instrument) |
Multiparameter-pH, conductivity, chloride, nitrate |
Prototype Stage |
| Kits made / sold by Merck >> Details |
| Merckoquant - Low Range |
Arsenic (low range) |
Not Available |
| Merckoquant - High Range |
Arsenic (high range) |
Not Available |
| Merckoquant |
Nitrate |
Not Available |
| Aquaquant |
Iron |
Not Available |
| Aquaquant |
Residual Chlorine |
Not Available |
| Aquaquant |
Aluminium |
Not Available |
| Kits made / sold by CPCB, Min. of Environment >> Details |
| CPCB-WTK |
Multi parameter |
Not Available |
| Test Kit |
Fluoride |
Not Available |
| Test Kit |
Arsenic |
Not Available |
| Test Kit |
Nitrate |
Not Available |
| Kits made / sold by Techno-ad Systems Inc. >> Details |
| Test Kit |
Fluoride(AIIH&PH)* |
Not Available |
| Test Kit |
Fluoride(ICS)* |
Not Available |
| Test Kit |
Fluoride(DRL)* |
Not Available |
| Test Kit |
Arsenic (AIIH&PH) |
Not Available |
| Test Kit |
Arsenic (DRDO) |
Not Available |
| Test Kit |
Nitrate (AIIH &PH) |
Not Available |
| Test Kit |
Iron (AIIH &PH) |
Not Available |
| Test Kit |
Iron (DRL) |
Not Available |
| Test Kit |
Iron (ICS) |
Not Available |
| Kits made / sold by Plasti Surge Industries Pvt. Ltd. >> Details |
| Field Water Test Kit (Multi-Parameter) |
Fluoride, Nitrate, Iron, Turbidity,
Total Hardness, Residual Chlorine,
Alkalinity, pH, Chloride,
TDS (optional),
Colour (optional),
Odour (optional), and
Temperature (optional). |
2500.00 |
| H2S Bacteriological Water Test Kit (BACTO-S) |
Different bacteria |
16.00 |
| Kits made / sold by Mathbin Scientific |
| Aqua Qual Test Kit |
Fluoride |
Not Available |
| Aqua Qual Test Kit |
Chloride |
Not Available |
| Aqua Qual Test Kit |
Hardness |
Not Available |
| Aqua Qual Test Kit |
Nitrate |
Not Available |
| Aqua Qual Test Kit |
Iron |
Not Available |
| Aqua Qual Test Kit |
Residual Chlorine |
Not Available |
| Aqua Qual Test Kit |
Arsenic |
Not Available |
| Aqua Qual Test Kit |
Alkalinity |
Not Available |
| Aqua Gage Multi WTKit |
Multiple parameters |
Not Available |
| CHLOROSCOPE CS-10/20 |
Residual Chlorine |
Not Available |
| Kits made / sold by IEHS-Chine (UNICEF) |
| Polysensor (electronic Instrument) |
Arsenic |
Not Available |
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| Note: Except for the Jal TARA kits from Development Alternatives, all Kit prices are basic prices where sales tax and freight will be charged extra at actuals. All prices for Jal TARA Kits are inclusive of tax and freight. |
