Abstract
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.
Highlights
Nutrient run-off and sediment deposition are significant factors that influence water quality.The amount of suspended particulate matter in a water body directly impacts the water’s clarity and the biological/chemical processes that occur within the water [1,2]
This paper presents the development and implementation of an affordable and practical light attenuation turbidity sensor
We present the rational and design goals for a new turbidity sensor and show how our sensor design was developed for use in the remote aquatic monitoring system
Summary
Nutrient run-off and sediment deposition are significant factors that influence water quality. The need exists to find an inexpensive, yet precise way to remotely monitor turbidity in near real-time (e.g., 15-min intervals), to determine how a water body changes during dynamic events such as floods and periods of heavy rainfall. Some work has been undertaken on low-cost sensor designs [19], distributed real-time turbidity monitoring [20,21], and using machine learning techniques for predicting sediment load in waterways [22,23,24,25,26,27]. The turbidity sensor has been used in actual field deployments including a dam, creek catchment, river, and urban water bodies. Finding a Viable Approach to Electronically Measure Turbidity in Aquatic Environments
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