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<p>With increasing environmental pressure due to global climate change, increases in global<br>population and the need for sustainable obtained resources, water resources management<br>is critical. In-situ sensors are fundamental to the management of water systems by providing<br>early warning, forecasting and baseline data to stakeholders. To be fit-for-purpose,<br>monitoring using in-situ sensors has to be carried out in a cost effective way and allow<br>implementation at larger spatial scales. If networks of sensors are to become not only a<br>reality but common place, it is necessary to produce reliable, inexpensive, rugged sensors<br>integrated with data analytics.</p><p><br>In this context, the aim of this project was to design and develop a low cost, robust and<br>reliable optical sensor which capable of continuous measurement of chemical and physical<br>parameters in aquatic environments. An iterative engineering design method cycling<br>between sensor design, prototyping and testing was used for the realisation and optimisation<br>of the sensor. The sensor can provide absorption, scatter, and fluorescence readings over a<br>broad spectral range (280nm to 850nm) and temperature readings in real-time using a suite<br>of optical sensors (CMOS Spectrometers and photodiode detector), custom designed LED<br>array light source and a digital temperature probe. Custom electronics and firmware were<br>developed to control the sensor and facilitate data transmission to an external network.<br>Sensor electronics are housed in a marine grade watertight housing; the optical components<br>are mounted inside a custom designed 3D-printed optical head which joins with the sensor<br>housing. The sensor is capable of measuring a range of optical parameters and temperature<br>in a single measurement cycle. Sensor analytical performance was demonstrated in the<br>laboratory, for detection and quantification of turbidity using analytical standards and in the<br>field by comparison with a commercially available multi- parameter probe (YSI, EXO 2).<br>The laboratory and field trials demonstrate that the sensor is fit-for-purpose and an excellent<br>tool for early warning monitoring by providing high frequency time-series data, operate<br>unattended in-situ for extended periods of times and capture pollution events.</p><p><strong>Acknowledgement </strong>- This research is carried out with the support of Project Ireland&#8217;s 2040&#8217;s<br>Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund.</p>
<p>The discharge of phosphorus associated with wastewater has decreased significantly in Europe over the past 25 years<sup>1</sup>, however the problem of diffuse pollution persists<sup>2</sup>.&#160; Studies have shown that regulatory monitoring can miss elevated spikes in phosphorus concentrations<sup>3</sup> and high frequency monitoring is required<sup>4</sup>. Such programmes are resource intensive, requiring effective tools which enable appropriate water quality data collection and quality assurance<sup>5</sup>.</p><p>A low cost, portable, and rapid phosphate detection system is needed to enable the quick detection of phosphate in areas affected by high phosphate levels<sup>6</sup>. A new system is being developed by evolving a colorimetric detection system using microfluidic lab-on-a-disc technology which has previously been demonstrated<sup>7</sup>. It utilizes a micro-spectrometer and the molybdenum blue method, and has been built with the intent of requiring limited training.</p><p>The range of the system is 5-400 &#181;g/L, which encompasses the threshold value of 35 &#181;g/L P for Irish rivers and groundwaters<sup>8</sup>. The system is extremely portable due to its compact size and weighing less than 2 kg. With a run time of 15 minutes per ten samples, it enables the in-situ detection of phosphate for rapid on-site monitoring.</p><p>To test the system, rivers in the northwest of Ireland were identified. Three of these rivers have historical orthophosphate readings in the range of 5 - 47 &#181;g/L and two others were reported considerably higher at 84 &#181;g/L.&#160;&#160;</p><p>With this microfluidic phosphate detection system, rapid in-situ detection and reliable, real-time monitoring of phosphorus in freshwater systems can be achieved.&#160;</p><p><strong>References:</strong></p><p>1)<em>European waters -- Assessment of status and pressures 2018 &#8212; European Environment Agency</em>. https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/state-of-water (accessed 2022-06-13).</p><p>2)Biddulph, M.; Collins, A. l.; Foster, I. d. l.; Holmes, N. The Scale Problem in Tackling Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture: Insights from the Avon Demonstration Test Catchment Programme in England. <em>River Research and Applications</em> <strong>2017</strong>, <em>33</em> (10), 1527&#8211;1538. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3222.</p><p>3)Fones, G. R.; Bakir, A.; Gray, J.; Mattingley, L.; Measham, N.; Knight, P.; Bowes, M. J.; Greenwood, R.; Mills, G. A. Using High-Frequency Phosphorus Monitoring for Water Quality Management: A Case Study of the Upper River Itchen, UK. <em>Environ Monit Assess</em> <strong>2020</strong>, <em>192</em> (3), 184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-8138-0.</p><p>4)Bowes, M. J.; Palmer-Felgate, E. J.; Jarvie, H. P.; Loewenthal, M.; Wickham, H. D.; Harman, S. A.; Carr, E. High-Frequency Phosphorus Monitoring of the River Kennet, UK: Are Ecological Problems Due to Intermittent Sewage Treatment Works Failures? <em> Environ. Monit.</em> <strong>2012</strong>, <em>14</em> (12), 3137&#8211;3145. https://doi.org/10.1039/C2EM30705G.</p><p>5)Quinn, N. W. T.; Dinar, A.; Sridharan, V. Decision Support Tools for Water Quality Management. <em>Water</em> <strong>2022</strong>, <em>14</em> (22), 3644. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14223644.</p><p>6)Park J.; Kim, K. T.; Lee; W. H. Recent advances in information and communications technology (ICT) and sensor technology for monitoring water quality. <strong>2020</strong>, <em>Water, 12</em> (2)</p><p>7)O&#8217;Grady, J., Kent N., Regan, F. (2021). Design, build and demonstration of a fast, reliable&#160; portable phosphate field analyser. <em>Case Stud. Chem. Environ. Eng.</em>, <strong>2020</strong>, <em>4</em>, 100168</p><p>8)Tierney, D.; O&#8217;Boyle, S. <em>Water Quality in 2016: An Indicators Report</em>; Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland: Wexford, 2018; p 48.</p>
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