The Development of a Novel Nitrate Portable Measurement System Based on a UV Paired Diode-Photodiode

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Instrumentation Engineering

Background:

• Nitrate contamination poses significant ecological and human health risks in aquatic environments.
• Effective water quality management necessitates reliable nitrate monitoring.
• Existing monitoring methods can be costly or lack portability for field use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, portable, and reagent-free system for accurate nitrate concentration measurement in water.
• To create a cost-effective instrument utilizing ultraviolet absorption principles.
• To enable near-real-time, on-site water quality assessment.

Main Methods:

• Development of a Nitrate Portable Measurement System (NPMS) using low-cost electronic components and a 3D-printed enclosure.
• Application of the Beer-Lambert law for nitrate quantification via UV light absorption (295-315 nm).
• Integration of an ultraviolet sensor, LED, microcontroller, and other essential components for a self-contained unit.

Main Results:

• The NPMS demonstrated accurate nitrate measurements, correlating strongly with a classical UV-Vis spectrophotometer (Nicolet Evolution 300).
• Effective performance was observed for nitrate concentrations above 5 mg NO₃⁻/L.
• The portable design facilitates field deployment and near-real-time analysis.

Conclusions:

• The developed Nitrate Portable Measurement System provides a viable, cost-effective solution for field-based nitrate monitoring.
• The system's portability and accuracy support enhanced water quality management strategies.
• This reagent-free approach contributes to more sustainable environmental monitoring practices.