Human Practice
I.Overview
In recent years, the public's concern for environmental protection and water quality has gradually risen. Our team is committed to the development of cadmium test strips, so that more people can more easily detect cadmium content in water quality, to protect the safety of drinking water. How much demand is there for such products? We interviewed officials from the Department of Water Resources, ordinary families, and conducted two questionnaire surveys.
II. Interviews with Officials
In order to better understand the need for testing cadmium wastewater and the related preventive and control measures, we decided to interview officials from the Water Resources Department. The Water Resources Department has always been a key government agency in water resources management and environmental protection, and they have extensive experience and knowledge in monitoring water quality, responding to pollution incidents and formulating relevant policies. By talking to the officials of the Water Resources Department, we hope to gain an in-depth understanding of the current situation of cadmium pollution in water bodies and the measures taken by the government in this area. This will help us to better formulate strategies for the application of cadmium detection test paper to support environmental protection and water resource management efforts.
[Minutes of Meeting.pdf]
II. Interviews with Officials
In order to better understand the need for testing cadmium wastewater and the related preventive and control measures, we decided to interview officials from the Water Resources Department. The Water Resources Department has always been a key government agency in water resources management and environmental protection, and they have extensive experience and knowledge in monitoring water quality, responding to pollution incidents and formulating relevant policies. By talking to the officials of the Water Resources Department, we hope to gain an in-depth understanding of the current situation of cadmium pollution in water bodies and the measures taken by the government in this area. This will help us to better formulate strategies for the application of cadmium detection test paper to support environmental protection and water resource management efforts.
1. In order to establish a study related to the previous Cadmium Sewage Questionnaire, a new survey was conducted in which over 200 questionnaires were distributed, and the data collected was carefully analyzed to produce a detailed analysis report. The survey aimed to further understand the public's awareness of the quality of household drinking water and their level of concern about water quality and health. By combining it with the previous Cadmium Sewage Survey, we were able to get a more comprehensive picture of the public's overall perception of water quality and environmental issues, and to provide more targeted support for future environmental publicity and education campaigns.
[Analysis of questionnaires on household drinking.pdf]IV. Design options
Based on the results of our survey, we have listed the following suggestions for improvement to meet the public's demand for home water quality testing and to increase their awareness of cadmium contamination. Some of the suggestions are implemented in current products, and some (e.g., lowering the price) will be the direction of our future research.
1.Provide more scientific information. As the majority of respondents indicated that they had less knowledge about the testing methods and test strips for cadmium contamination, we recommend that more scientifically accurate information be provided to help them better understand the need for and feasibility of testing. This can be achieved through promotional materials, online information platforms and social media. Online, we will continue to promote the Jitterbug platform account and produce more science-based videos to popularize the knowledge of cadmium wastewater. In addition, we will put our promotional brochures in each kit, explaining in detail the biology behind the test strips and emphasizing that our test strips have a certain role in adsorbing cadmium in addition to testing.
2.Reduce the price of test strips. Survey results show that most people think that below RMB50 /box is a more reasonable price range. With the current technical capability, it is difficult for us to press the cost down to RMB 50/box, but we will continue to conduct research and try to reduce the preparation cost to keep the price at around RMB 50/box. This will play an important role in better meeting consumer demand and promoting market acceptance. It is also conducive to providing a healthy way of drinking water for families with a much lower income level.
3.Improve the accuracy of the test strips. 3. A part of the respondents expressed concern about the accuracy of the test strips, therefore, in the product publicity we will emphasize that the test strips have a high degree of accuracy in the qualitative measurement of cadmium sewage, and by seeking the scientific experiments and studies of authoritative institutions to endorse the credibility of the test strips. In addition, we will set up stalls on the main roads in Nanjing and invite passers-by to try the test strips, so that the public can experience the convenience and accuracy of the test strips.
4.Strengthening public education on cadmium sewage. 4.Most of the respondents are not sure whether there is cadmium sewage in their surroundings, although cadmium sewage is very harmful and difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. Therefore, we will strengthen publicity and education on the sources and effects of cadmium sewage in order to enhance public awareness of heavy metal pollution such as cadmium pollution. Particularly in residential areas near industrial areas and mines, we will step up publicity on the relevant knowledge to raise the public's alertness to the effluent, so that we can work together to protect the drinking water resources from cadmium contamination.
5.Promote the importance of cadmium effluent testing. 5.Through education and publicity, we can help the general public better understand the potential hazards of cadmium effluent to human health, thus increasing the demand for cadmium effluent testing. We will rely on the IGEM Club to establish partnerships with schools, community organizations, health agencies, etc. in order to jointly organize educational activities. In addition, we will look for potential partners, such as environmental organizations or local governments, to further expand our reach.
6. Provision of user-friendly services. To meet the needs of different age groups and education levels, user-friendly services can be provided, including online counseling, telephone support and direct messaging features on social media platforms, where users can choose the way that best suits them to get help. We will also provide clear, easy-to-understand usage guides, including textual explanations and illustrations. These guides should be clear and concise to help users use the test strips correctly, from sampling to analysis, to ensure operability. For those who have difficulty reading text, we will create online video tutorials that demonstrate the proper use of cadmium test strips. This is very helpful for those who prefer to learn visually. These videos can be uploaded to video sharing sites or embedded in official websites and apps. In the future, we are also creating an online environmental user community where users can communicate with each other about their experiences, solve problems and share best practices. Such a community can be a support network between users, providing opportunities to learn from and help each other.
By adopting these recommendations for improvement, we can better meet the public's demand for household water quality testing, raise their awareness of cadmium contamination and facilitate market development. This will not only help improve the quality of household drinking water, but also help reduce the potential threat to health. At the same time, we can also consider collaborating with relevant government departments and environmental organizations to promote the popularity and publicity of cadmium effluent testing.