Location: Water Quality and Ecology Research
Project Number: 6060-13660-009-030-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2024
End Date: Aug 31, 2026
Objective:
1. Develop a portable water quality measurement system that integrates sensors and readout electronics to primarily detect Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonium, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus.
2. Develop a novel, multiplexed, and cost-effective electrochemical sensor array that can accurately measure target analyte concentrations in water.
3. Patent applicable technology if successful.
Approach:
Maintaining water quality is crucial for environmental sustainability. Current methods for water quality analysis typically involve complex and time-consuming laboratory procedures. These traditional techniques for detecting nutrients in water are often expensive and labor-intensive. Consequently, there is an urgent need for the development of low-cost, rapid, and accurate sensors to enable real-time water quality monitoring on site in agricultural areas. To overcome these challenges, a novel sensor system will be developed which can detect multiple analytes accurately and rapidly. The sensor system will measure the concentration levels of Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonium, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus. The proposed sensor system uses electrochemical sensor array for multiplexed analyte detection. Screen-printed electrodes will be fabricated and subsequently coated with various nanomaterials (e.g., graphene, carbon nanotubes, metal nanoparticles) to improve their electrochemical properties for sensitive and selective analyte detection. At the initial stage, the prototype will be validated against flow injection analysis at ARS. The novel sensors will be developed to reduce the cost utilizing electrochemical sensing technique and integrated with readout electronics to process and send data wirelessly. The developed prototype will be tested in the Water Quality and Ecology Research Unit in Oxford, Mississippi. Proposed research will provide an affordable, efficient, and reliable tool for water quality monitoring to support sustainable agricultural practices and environmental protection.
