Abstract

A mobile monitoring station was developed to measure nitrate and physicochemical water quality parameters remotely, in real-time, and at very high frequencies (thirty minutes). Several calibration experiments were performed to validate the outputs of a real-time nutrient sensor, which can be affected by optical interferences such as turbidity, pH, temperature and salinity. Whilst most of these proved to play a minor role, a data-driven compensation model was developed to account for turbidity interferences. The reliability of real-time optical sensors has been questioned previously; however, this study has shown that following compensation, the readings can be more accurate than traditional laboratory-based equipment. In addition, significant benefits are offered by monitoring waterways at high frequencies, due to rapid changes in analyte concentrations over short time periods. This, combined with the versatility of the mobile station, provides opportunities for several beneficial monitoring applications, such as of fertiliser runoff in agricultural areas in rural regions, aquaculture runoff, and waterways in environmentally sensitive areas such as the Great Barrier Reef.

Highlights

  • Nitrate fluxes in the water system due to fertiliser mismanagement create substantial environmental and health issues where, in rural communities, efficient and reliable water treatment processes are not always available [1]

  • Most rivers tend to share similar water quality ranges; the goal was to develop a compensation range that could make the nitrate readings from NiCaVis reliable and consistent with what is typically observed in these waterbodies [11,12]

  • Fertiliser runoff can be effectively managed using real-time monitoring, providing an option to assist decision-makers in the reduction of economic losses associated with high-volume discharges

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Summary

Objectives

The overarching goal of this study was to design, construct, calibrate and field test a real-time nitrate measurement instrument to enable high-frequency and remote nitrate monitoring applications to occur in the future

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