Development and deployment of a microfluidic platform for water quality monitoring

There is an increasing demand for autonomous sensor devices which can provide reliable data on key water quality parameters at a higher temporal and geographical resolution than is achievable using current approaches to sampling and monitoring. Microfluidic technology, in combination with rapid and on-going developments in the area of wireless communications, has significant potential to address this demand due to a number of advantageous features which allow the development of compact, low-cost and low-powered analytical devices. Here we report on the development of a microfluidic platform for water quality monitoring. This system has been successfully applied to in-situ monitoring of phosphate in environmental and wastewater monitoring applications. We describe a number of the technical and practical issues encountered and addressed during these deployments and summarise the current status of the technology

Microfluidic chip development for an autonomous field deployable water quality analyser

This work presents the ongoing development of a microfluidic chip for a low cost field deployable phosphate analyser for water. The phosphate analyser is a fully integrated system incorporating fluid handling, microfluidic technology, colorimetric chemical detection, and real time wireless communications in a compact and rugged portable device

How Stressed Are Wisconsin Cities and Villages?

For the fourth time since 1997, a web-based survey of fiscal health was administered to administrative officials of Wisconsin cities and villages during the summer of 2010. A total of 195 municipalities responded to the survey. Of those administrative officials responding, 53 percent reported that their current revenue base was inadequate and more than 62 percent responded that their fiscal condition in five years will be inadequate. Some of the strategies most actively pursued in response to fiscal stress include the adoption or increase in user fees and charges, improved productivity through better management and pursuit of grants from federal/state governments. Strategies least likely to be pursued include laying off workers, increasing short-term debt and reducing hours of operation.

In situ monitoring of environmental water quality using an autonomous microfluidic sensor

An autonomous microfluidic sensor for phosphate in environmental waters has been developed and assessed in laboratory and field trials. The sensor is based on the molybdenum yellow method for phosphate detection in which a phosphate-containing sample is mixed with a reagent containing ammonium molybdate and ammonium metavanadate in an acidic medium. The yellow-colored compound which is formed absorbs strongly below 400nm and its absorbance is proportional to the concentration of phosphate in the original sample. The sensor utilizes a microfluidic manifold where mixing, reaction and detection take place. Optical detection is performed using a LED (light emitting diode) light source and a photodiode detector. The sensor also combines pumping system, power supply, reagent and waste storage, and wireless communications into a compact and portable device. Here we report the successful use of the sensor to monitor phosphate levels in an estuarine environment