ENVR 76 |
| In the sphere of environmental monitoring, there is increasing demand for chemical measurements obtained at higher temporal resolution than can be economically achieved by manual sample collection at weekly or monthly intervals. These water quality assessment needs could be met with autonomous instrumentation installed at remote locations—typically operating at sampling rates in the range of four per hour to one per day—provided that it was affordable, easy to operate and maintain and produced data on a par with analytical laboratory results. Sensor technology for parameters such as dissolved oxygen has improved greatly over the past five years, but progress on sensors for plant nutrients such as ammonium, nitrate and orthophosphate has been less fruitful. For this reason, the most successful autonomous nutrient monitors of such parameters still rely on wet-chemical colorimetric and fluorimetric methods of analysis. The cost and complexity of conventional field portable chemical analyzers currently limit their use. The need to replace reagents, perform calibrations and manage the resulting analytical waste stream has proved particularly problematic for non-specialist operators. In this presentation, we describe a new analytical approach and instrument platform that we have named NanoLAB, which will allow non-specialist operators to perform time-honored wet chemical nutrient assays on a microliter-scale with sensor-like simplicity. |
|
Recent Developments in Sensors and Sensor Networks for Contaminants in Environmental Systems
8:30 AM-11:20 AM, Tuesday, August 21, 2007 Boston Park Plaza -- Beacon Hill Rm, Oral
Division of Environmental Chemistry |