Human cell test distinguishes dirty water from dangerous water

Abstract

WATER QUALITY The Human Cell Test (HCT), based on assays originally developed by the pharmaceutical industry to test the effect of drugs on the human body, is now being used in South Africa to test water for toxic substances. Whereas other aquatic toxicity tests are aimed at finding pollutants that are harmful to the environment, the HCT targets toxic substances that could adversely affect human health. How? “We look for a reaction when a water sample comes into contact with human leukocytic (white blood) cells. These cells are in contact with everything that goes into the body. Drinking water goes through the bloodstream so it would come into contact with these cells. If these cells cannot tolerate what is in the water, it is unlikely that a person would,” explains Dr Mike Whitcutt, director of research for the Highveld Biological Association, a Section 21 company appointed by the Water Research Commission (WRC) to take the HCT from theory to practical application.

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