Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12)
“Sustainable solutions” for water quality measurements
Tameah Brathwaite, Emma Smith University of the West Indies, Cave Hill E-mail: tameah.brathwaite@mycavehill.uwi.edu
Barbados is one of many Small Island Developing states (SIDs) located in the Caribbean. One of the challenges faced by SIDs is high importation costs, while still relying on external markets. As a full member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Barbados uses its Common External Tariff (CET) for imported goods, in addition to excise taxes and a value added tax (VAT) at a rate of 17.5%. Consequently, imported chemicals are subject to an average duty of 70%. Additionally, shipping expenses also significantly increase the total cost, directly impacting the procurement and use of chemicals on the island. Furthermore, chemicals may be shipped in as “ready-made” solutions for many applications, increasing the shipment cost. With the aim of reducing reliance on external sources, the focus of this project is the production/utilisation of “sustainable solutions” for use as calibration standards in water quality analysis. These being vital for good quality data required in environmental assessment. This study is currently investigating the usefulness of in-house produced solutions for pH and nutrient measurement, by measuring their performance against the “ready-made” solutions available on the market. The results of this will be presented, along with a cost-benefit analysis. Key words: water, cost.
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© The Author(s), 2025
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