Citizen science approaches for water quality measurements

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Hydrology
• Water Resource Management

Background:

• Citizen science is increasingly utilized in water quality research.
• Existing literature reviews lack a comprehensive overview of commonly used citizen science methods in water quality assessment.
• A detailed examination of the strengths and weaknesses of these methods is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the scientific literature on citizen science for surface water quality assessments.
• To identify and analyze the methods and strategies employed in 72 relevant studies.
• To evaluate the parameters, tools, and data resolution of citizen science water quality monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of scientific publications on citizen science and surface water quality.
• Analysis of 72 studies meeting predefined search criteria.
• Categorization of methods based on monitored parameters, tools used, and spatial/temporal data resolution.

Main Results:

• Identified a range of citizen science methods applied to surface water quality assessment.
• Detailed the specific parameters monitored (e.g., turbidity, pH, temperature) and the tools employed (e.g., test kits, sensors).
• Assessed the spatial and temporal scales of data collection across the reviewed studies.

Conclusions:

• Citizen science offers valuable data for surface water quality assessment, complementing traditional methods.
• Understanding the strengths and limitations of different citizen science approaches is crucial for effective implementation.
• Further research can optimize citizen science strategies for enhanced hydrological monitoring and research.