We will also find nitrates and radiation

The question of buying a device that measures the level of nitrates, arose after the enthusiasm for green cocktails. If, with the usual use of vegetables, fruits and greens, it is hard to eat such a quantity of products with all the desire to get noticeable harm, then 200 ml of a green cocktail can easily fit a floor of a head of cabbage, a pair of cucumbers and a green apple to boot. A completely different concentration of vitamins, but, alas, harmful substances, if any. The search for “eco testers” showed the eco tester Soeks, actively promoted on the market. I decided to take him for testing through the company “Dadzhet”. The advantages of buying through them are described directly on the site. The main thing for me personally is (I quote) “Return for 1 year, even if you used it. On condition that the presentation and packaging is preserved. ”It's nice, you know, to think that you can try something and return it if you don’t like it. We continue ...

1. Appearance, equipment
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The device arrived in a cheerful green packaging, it is immediately clear that for lovers of a healthy lifestyle. AAA batteries attached, which is nice. But if you want to charge from the batteries or using a charger (usb-input is available), it will all have to be purchased separately. Instruction in Russian and English, there is a certificate of conformity with GOST standards. (Compliance with GOST raises the level of confidence by default :))



The design of the device is touchingly domestic. It looks like a remote from the air conditioner. The cap from the probe is removed with some effort. In circulation is extremely simple. OK button, it is the on and off button. Four menu navigation buttons. The display brightness is adjustable. Testing will start with nitrates.

2. Nitrates or nitric acid salts

A small excursion into the topic “what are nitrates and why can it be harmful to a person?”:

- Nitrates. Wikipedia article
- What are nitrates and how to protect against them?

Evaluation and analysis of nitrates is carried out by measuring the conductivity of high-frequency alternating current. At once I will make a reservation that this method of measurement has its opponents. It turns out that the device measures the electrical conductivity of salts dissolved in the product, which means not only nitrates, but also magnesium, calcium, potassium, etc. Also, there are complaints that the device allegedly greatly underestimates the testimony that its error is not 30% at all, but 100% and more, etc. But all this can not be checked at home, so here everyone decides for himself what to believe and what not.

Already upon reading the instruction, it is regrettable that a calculator is not built into the device. The nitrate tester measures the nitrate content per kilogram of product mass. Everything. To find out how much nitrate was eaten with this or that product (5 mg of nitrates per day per 1 kg of body weight is considered safe for an adult), additional calculations should be made. For children, of course, the norms are different, and here the tester pleased with a separate menu item “Children's norm”. (For children, there are other standards, since the child's body is most susceptible to the harmful effects of nitrates. So for young children, up to 10 mg per day is safe, for older ones - up to 50 mg.)

So, we take the products available at home (attention, room temperature!). We remove the lid and, following the highlighted recommendation, we stick the dipstick into the onion, salad, zucchini - everything is normal.



It is not quite clear how to measure leaf lettuce, but somehow it is possible to pierce a few leaves so that the dark strip is completely immersed in the product. Also the norm.





What wonderful suppliers, it turns out, the nearest stores. But what the device showed about the grapes from Auchan.



I turn the berry, I see that on the one hand it has rotted. The instructions specifically states that the product should not contain traces of rot. I find a healthy berry, the device gives a slight, but still exceeding the norm.



Also elevated levels of nitrates were found in pears. And if the grapes initially looked unhealthily hypertrophied, pears would never be suspicious.



Upset the absence of avocados in the lists of products (you may have to look for analogues in the list at the same rate of nitrate content) and frankly surprised at the lack of plums.
A full list of products available in the menu: Apricot, Watermelon, Banana, Eggplant, Grapes, Pear, Greens, Melon, Early Cabbage, Later Cabbage, Zucchini, Potatoes, Strawberries, Onions, Green Onions, Early Carrots, Late Carrots, Nectarine, Cucumber (ground), Cucumber (greenhouse), Pepper (sweet), Peach, Tomato (ground), Tomato (greenhouse), Radish, Radish, Lettuce, Beet, Persimmon, Apple, Children's Norm, Fresh Meat. Detailed manual is available for download from the site Dadzhet.

3. Radiation

A small excursion into the topic “what is radiation and why can it be harmful to a person?”:

- Units of measurement sievert . Wikipedia article.
- Units measuring x-ray . Wikipedia article.
- Radiation: general information, units of measurement, effects on humans.

In an attempt to find something radioactive in the apartment, we were able to recall several likely places where the background could be elevated. Checking the toys glowing in the dark when the sensor was brought up closely did not reveal any excess, although the background was slightly higher than in the apartment.



Recalling the experiments with passing air through the filter to increase the concentration of radioactive elements, he pulled the filter out of the intake system. Excess background was not detected, but a lot of dust and insects were found.



The search for radiation did not end with success, which is certainly for the better!

4. We summarize the advantages and disadvantages

Advantages: easy to use (especially if you attach a calculator); works fast, measuring nitrates lasts no more than 3-4 seconds; It has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, especially if you have children at home or you are fond of green cocktails and like to read about nitrates and the horrors of their effects on the body at night.

Disadvantages: it is quite difficult to make measurements before the purchase - only after; incomplete list of vegetables and fruits. And one moment. The average consumer still buys vegetables and fruits in two or three places, not more. And, as a rule, the same thing. After the usual 10-15 products are checked, the tester will most likely go dusting on the shelf and will be removed no more than once a year, during the melon-watermelon season.

PS It was fun to find a funny face on the board;)

Those who want to save 10% with the purchase will be helped by the promotional code GT-ECO , which is valid 14 days from the date of publication.