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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Sensor Technology
  • Water Quality Monitoring

Background:

  • High-resolution water quality data are crucial for the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) and UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG).
  • Community-based monitoring projects offer valuable data but face challenges in accuracy and reliability.
  • Existing methods for nutrient monitoring can be expensive or lack accessibility for citizen science initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop an affordable, reliable, and open-source optical sensor for monitoring nitrate and phosphate concentrations in freshwater.
  • To support citizen scientists and community-based monitoring efforts with accessible technology.
  • To improve the accuracy and reliability of water quality data collected by non-experts.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a sensor using a 3D-printed case, LED, ambient light detector, and Raspberry Pi Zero W.
  • Enabled offline data storage and real-time Wi-Fi transmission.
  • Evaluated analytical performance in laboratory and field conditions, comparing results with a spectrophotometer.

Main Results:

  • The sensor demonstrated accurate and repeatable measurements for nitrate and phosphate.
  • Achieved significant improvements in performance compared to conventional colorimetric methods.
  • Validated the sensor's reliability in both controlled laboratory settings and natural river environments.

Conclusions:

  • The developed optical sensor is a viable, cost-effective tool for community-based water quality monitoring.
  • Open science principles ensure the technology's accessibility and potential for future development.
  • This innovation can significantly contribute to achieving WFD and SDG 6 objectives through enhanced data collection.