Lasers have become an integrated part of our lives. We use them to print files from the computer, listen to music on CDs, view movies on DVDs, operate on eyes, monitor blood pressure, cut and weld metal for automobiles and a whole lot more. One more use of lasers is going to be to test drinking water potability.

Potable water is water that is safe enough to be consumed by human beings. Testing the quality of drinking water before it is piped to the city is a major responsibility as new contaminants can enter the water and cause diseases for the full population of a city. The researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF in Freiburg have developed the technology to allow lasers to test the quality of drinking water.

The new system automatically analyzes water samples at the waterworks using their quantum cascade laser. The apparatus can not only identify if the water is contaminated, but also narrow down to find out what impurity is present in the water. It has been designed in such a manner that it can immediately identify any dangerous substance present in the water and give early warning. Such a science project will indeed have a positive impact.