Detected: Mercury in drinking water Detected: Mercury in drinking water Bangalore Mirror Bureau / Updated: Apr 4, 2021, 06:00 IST Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research have developed sensors that can detect toxic mercury in drinking water. They have proposed the use of cysteine conjugated naphthalene diimide ( CNC) bolaamphiphile functionalised etched Fiber Bragg grating (eFBG) sensor for detection of mercury in drinking water. In a paper published on highly sensitive and rapid detection of mercury in water using functionalised etched fiber Bragg grating sensors, the researchers said elemental mercury is present in the environment due to natural and man-made causes such as volcanic eruptions, combustion of fossil fuels, industrial effluents, etc.