Spot the bad nut

Like munching peanuts? But every time you pick a handful, you may get at least a nut or two whose foul taste spoils the entire snack. This bitter aftertaste is due to aflatoxin, a natural poison produced by certain fungi that infest not only groundnut but also many food crops. Now, researchers at the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) in Hyderabad have devised a fast, simple and cheap test to detect aflatoxin, which is also a potent carcinogen. In the developed world, tests for detecting aflatoxin in nuts and grains are available but are prohibitively expensive — one would need to shell out as much as Rs 1,000 for the purpose. The Icrisat kit, on the other hand, does it for just Rs 40.

Pure water

A domestic water filter that uses a homegrown technology to remove dissolved pesticide residues from drinking water has hit the Indian market. The filter that uses gold and silver nanoparticles to trap traces of the toxic chemicals is the first of its kind to be commercialised anywhere in the world. Developed by T. Pradeep — an Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, chemist — and his student, the filter is marketed by the Mumbai-based Eureka Forbes, which specialises in water purifier systems. The IIT pesticide filter is an offshoot of the scientists’ basic research on the chemistry of nanoparticles. The feat is noteworthy as exposure to pesticides can trigger neurological disorders and genetic mutations, leading to several diseases such as cancers.