Intelligent sensors map out chemical pollutants in sea water
So far tested under laboratory conditions only, it is able to detect even very small concentrations of chemical pollutants and maps out their precise location and spread.
Sea pollution is a serious global issue that has adverse effects on not only the immediate natural environment (marine fauna and flora), but also on human health and the economy.
“Different chemical pollutants require different techniques for their clean-up. But the single most important factor for minimizing the impact and damages to the affected area is how quickly they is detected. This is particularly critical in the case of oil spills, where a full clean-up is virtually impossible if decontamination efforts don’t start immediately,” explained Jaime Lloret from the UPV’s Research Institute for Integrated Management of Coastal Areas (ICIC).
The sensors developed by UPV researchers are embedded in small floating devices. Based on sophisticated algorithms, the system is made up of several such wireless nodes that move independently through the spill in search of its outer limits.
“The nodes use the real-time data collected via their hydrocarbon sensors and their relative positions to seek out the edges of the spill, the point where it meets non-contaminated water. By doing so the system is able to provide information as to the exact location and extent of the spill,” explained Lloret.
The sensor system is the result of one of the main lines of research to emerge from the UPV’s master’s degree in the Assessment and Environmental Monitoring of Marine and Coastal Ecosytems, and was presented at 2015’s IEEE International Conference on Communication.
Related articles and links:
https://ruvid.org/ri-world/?p=5503
News articles:
Smartphone sensor offers low-cost monitoring air pollution killer
Google ‘Street View’ cars add sensors to map air quality
Hybrid sensor spots cable fires before they start burning
If you enjoyed this article, you will like the following ones: don't miss them by subscribing to :
