Fluorish: Community-Based Fluoride Detection Project
Lead: Fluorish Team (Asan University Start-up)
Timeline: 2025-2028
Funding needed: $60,000
The Challenge: Fluoride in drinking water presents a dual challenge—too little leads to increased tooth decay, while too much causes dental and skeletal fluorosis. 180 million people worldwide are exposed to fluoride levels exceeding WHO guidelines, particularly in rural communities lacking access to water quality testing. Meanwhile, communities without adequate fluoride face higher rates of dental disease. Current testing methods require expensive laboratory analysis, leaving communities vulnerable to fluoride-related health issues, such as dental fluorosis.
The Innovation: Fluorish plans to introduce a low-cost, portable IoT device that enables communities to test their drinking water fluoride levels in real-time. The device uses electrochemical sensors to detect fluoride concentrations, transmitting data to a cloud platform that maps regional fluoride levels and alerts communities to potential health risks. This community-controlled approach puts water quality monitoring directly into the hands of those most affected.
The Program: The project plans to deploy solar-powered fluoride detection devices in partnership with local health workers, schools, and community centers. Each device provides instant readings via LED indicators (green for optimal, yellow for deficient, red for excessive fluoride levels) and connects to a mobile app for data logging and community sharing. Training workshops teach local technicians device maintenance and data interpretation, while the cloud platform enables health authorities to monitor regional trends and respond to emerging issues.
What makes this work? Success lies in community ownership and cultural integration. Local health workers become fluoride monitoring champions, schools use the devices for science education, and community meetings include water quality discussions. The technology is designed for harsh environments with minimal maintenance requirements, while the data platform enables both immediate community response and long-term policy advocacy for water system improvements.
The Impact: Fluorish aims to prevent fluoride-related dental and skeletal disease through early detection and community education. By mapping fluoride levels across regions, the project provides evidence for water treatment interventions, policy changes, and targeted oral health programs. Communities gain agency in monitoring their water quality while contributing to a global database that informs fluoride research and public health responses.
What's Next? The pilot program will launch in Tanzania and Kenya with adequate funding raised. Future expansion will integrate the technology with existing water management systems and scale to regions where fluoride monitoring is most needed.
