Towards the Development of an Affordable and Practical Light Attenuation Turbidity Sensor for Remote Near Real-Time Aquatic Monitoring
Turbidity is a key environmental parameter that is used in the determination of water quality. The turbidity of a water body gives an indication of how much suspended sediment is present, which directly impacts the clarity of the water (i.e., whether it is cloudy or clear). Various commercial nephel...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/7/1993 |
| _version_ | 1797571636282523648 |
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| author | Jarrod Trevathan Wayne Read Simon Schmidtke |
| author_facet | Jarrod Trevathan Wayne Read Simon Schmidtke |
| author_sort | Jarrod Trevathan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Turbidity is a key environmental parameter that is used in the determination of water quality. The turbidity of a water body gives an indication of how much suspended sediment is present, which directly impacts the clarity of the water (i.e., whether it is cloudy or clear). Various commercial nephelometric and optical approaches and products exist for electronically measuring turbidity. However, most of these approaches are unsuitable or not viable for collecting data remotely. This paper investigates ways for incorporating a turbidity sensor into an existing remote aquatic environmental monitoring platform that delivers data in near real-time (i.e., 15-min intervals). First, we examine whether an off-the-shelf turbidity sensor can be modified to provide remote and accurate turbidity measurements. Next, we present an inexpensive design for a practical light attenuation turbidity sensor. We outline the sensor’s design rationale and how various technical and physical constraints were overcome. The turbidity sensor is calibrated against a commercial turbidimeter using a Formazin standard. Results indicate that the sensor readings are indicative of actual changes in turbidity, and a calibration curve for the sensor could be attained. The turbidity sensor was trialled in different types of water bodies over nine months to determine the system’s robustness and responsiveness to the environment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:43:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa88600751284e1c8dd34117acb388b4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:43:28Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa88600751284e1c8dd34117acb388b42023-11-19T20:32:53ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202020-04-01207199310.3390/s20071993Towards the Development of an Affordable and Practical Light Attenuation Turbidity Sensor for Remote Near Real-Time Aquatic MonitoringJarrod Trevathan0Wayne Read1Simon Schmidtke2Institute of Integrated and Intelligent Systems, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, QLD 4111, AustraliaInstitute of Integrated and Intelligent Systems, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, QLD 4111, AustraliaSubstation33, Kingston, Logan, QLD 4114, AustraliaTurbidity is a key environmental parameter that is used in the determination of water quality. The turbidity of a water body gives an indication of how much suspended sediment is present, which directly impacts the clarity of the water (i.e., whether it is cloudy or clear). Various commercial nephelometric and optical approaches and products exist for electronically measuring turbidity. However, most of these approaches are unsuitable or not viable for collecting data remotely. This paper investigates ways for incorporating a turbidity sensor into an existing remote aquatic environmental monitoring platform that delivers data in near real-time (i.e., 15-min intervals). First, we examine whether an off-the-shelf turbidity sensor can be modified to provide remote and accurate turbidity measurements. Next, we present an inexpensive design for a practical light attenuation turbidity sensor. We outline the sensor’s design rationale and how various technical and physical constraints were overcome. The turbidity sensor is calibrated against a commercial turbidimeter using a Formazin standard. Results indicate that the sensor readings are indicative of actual changes in turbidity, and a calibration curve for the sensor could be attained. The turbidity sensor was trialled in different types of water bodies over nine months to determine the system’s robustness and responsiveness to the environment.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/7/1993environmental monitoringoff-the-shelf technologiesInternet of Underwater Thingsturbidityaffordable sensorscalibration |
| spellingShingle | Jarrod Trevathan Wayne Read Simon Schmidtke Towards the Development of an Affordable and Practical Light Attenuation Turbidity Sensor for Remote Near Real-Time Aquatic Monitoring Sensors environmental monitoring off-the-shelf technologies Internet of Underwater Things turbidity affordable sensors calibration |
| title | Towards the Development of an Affordable and Practical Light Attenuation Turbidity Sensor for Remote Near Real-Time Aquatic Monitoring |
| title_full | Towards the Development of an Affordable and Practical Light Attenuation Turbidity Sensor for Remote Near Real-Time Aquatic Monitoring |
| title_fullStr | Towards the Development of an Affordable and Practical Light Attenuation Turbidity Sensor for Remote Near Real-Time Aquatic Monitoring |
| title_full_unstemmed | Towards the Development of an Affordable and Practical Light Attenuation Turbidity Sensor for Remote Near Real-Time Aquatic Monitoring |
| title_short | Towards the Development of an Affordable and Practical Light Attenuation Turbidity Sensor for Remote Near Real-Time Aquatic Monitoring |
| title_sort | towards the development of an affordable and practical light attenuation turbidity sensor for remote near real time aquatic monitoring |
| topic | environmental monitoring off-the-shelf technologies Internet of Underwater Things turbidity affordable sensors calibration |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/7/1993 |
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