The easy self-examination of chemicals and medicines

  1.  Chlorine Powder Test

     The genuine chlorine powder has sudden pungent smell.  If impured, chlorine powder will not have pungent smell that we can smell easily.  Another impure procedure is to put some low cost calcium carbonate or minerals at the bottom of chlorine pail and put chlorine powder at the above layer.  When the pail is opened, pungent smell of chlorine is found but at the bottom of the pail will be only some calcium carbonate.

2. Iodine Test – Iodine sold in the market is in liquid form of 1 litre to 20 litres. Basically, iodine has red black color in viscous liquid form. When dropped in the water, iodine will be immediately dissolved. If it is impured, the dropped iodine will be slowly dissolved. Mostly iodine is impured with molasses to make the liquid black and sticky but it reduces ability of pathogen disinfection. The method of iodine test is using 100% ascorbic acid to reduce iodine color. If ascorbic acid is used in large quantity to make iodine liquid clear, that iodine is strongly effective. On the other hand, if ascorbic acid is used in small quantity, that iodine results low ability to destroy pathogen disinfection.

  3. BKC Test – BKC (Benzalkoniumchloride) is quite difficult to test due to its character of clear and viscous liquid.  BKC is impured by mixing water to have larger volume. To test BKC 80% is to observe its physical character which is thick and viscous clear liquid. Pour BKC tested in a glass and leave if for 1 day. If BKC volume is about 80% concentration, its physical character is like thick and sticky syrup with jelly film layer on the surface of BKC 80%. It is assumed that this BKC 80% is genuine and has 80% concentration as mentioned.

   4. Tea Seed Meal Test – Tea Seed Meal basically has saponin effective to kill fishes, mollusks and shells but is not effective to shrimp. Currently, tea seed meal is not widely used due to it is mixed with ground paddy and saw dust which causes less saponin in tea seed meal. Some tea seed meal is mixed with cyanide which is toxic to both human and animals including shrimp. The tea seed meal test is to soak tea seed meal in the water and pour the liquid into clear plastic bottle, then strongly and frequently shake. The low quality tea seed meal will not result much bubbles in the bottle.

  5. Oxytetracyclin Test – The oxytetracyclin in the market is often mixed with flourcalcium and pigment with yellow color. The simple test is to mix 1 teaspoon of oxytetracyclin with 30 cc of vinegar. The mixture that has yellow color will be changed to dark brown color when left overnight, if there are oxytetracyclin in high amount. If the mixture contains a lot of calcium powder, it results a lot of bubble gases. Without oxytetracyclin, the mixture is still yellow color even left it overnight.

   6. Norfloxacin Test – The genuine norfloxacin has strong bitter taste with light and white powder. When smelled, it has no scent but you will feel bitter in respiration. When touched by tounge, the taste is strongly bitter. The more bitter it is, the higher amount of norfloxacin is.

  7. Magnesiumsulfate Test – Magnesiumsulfate 100% is a clear and white crystal same as sugar. When touched by tounge, it has no taste at first but bitter later. When dissolved in water, its  temperature is cold as same as urea. If it is mixed by refined salt, the taste is salty.

  8. Sodiumbicarbonate Test – Sodiumbicarbonate 100% is better and harsh to the taste without any scent. When mixed with a little bit water, it is soluble and slip when scrubbed by hand. When dropped with vinegar, the sparkling bubble is occurred. However, if sodiumbicarbonate is impured by salt, it will taste salty. If impured by calcium powder, it is insoluble.