Details of Award

NERC Reference : NE/Z50354X/1

Adaptive multi-nutrient monitoring system (ADAPT-NP)

Principal Investigator:: Dr EB Mackay, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Water Resources (Lancaster)
Grant held at:: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Water Resources (Lancaster)

Abstract:: Water pollution, in the form of nutrient enrichment and algal blooms, causes water quality problems across the globe, resulting in health risks and large costs to water managers and regulators tasked with ensuring clean water supply and healthy rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Monitoring of water chemistry is essential for complying with relevant regulations and maintaining water security. Nutrient chemistry is typically measured by manual sampling and later laboratory analysis, which is laborious, discrete and non-real-time, means that pollution events cannot be suitably characterised in a timely manner or can sometimes be missed completely. The state-of-the-art commercial nutrient auto-analyser instruments are expensive to purchase and expensive to run and they can be unreliable. This project led by teams from the University of Southampton and UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology aims to create and test a novel microfluidic-based multi-nutrient analyser and integrated adaptive monitoring systems for cost-effective high-frequency analysis of nutrients in freshwater. The combined development of the multi-nutrient sensor within an adaptive sampling framework will make this technology accessible to a broader range of users and applications, helping to address environmental challenges, improve resource management, and promote sustainability.

Authorised funds only

This grant award has a total value of £305,296

Exception - Equipment	Indirect - Indirect Costs	DI - Staff	DA - Estate Costs	DI - T&S
£243,271	£22,531	£27,792	£7,502	£4,201

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