University of Minnesota Researchers Use New Technology to Check Lake Water For Contaminants
Source: Darcy Pohland (WCCO) -(Video also)
Thousands of Minnesotans will hit the lakes and rivers this Memorial Day weekend, but chances are they don’t know much about the water they’re boating or swimming in.
That may change thanks to cutting edge technology developed by University of Minnesota researchers.
The state of the art solar powered sensors can also warn people about contaminated lakes before they go in the water. CBS
You could soon be able check water temperatures, pollution levels and other contaminants with the click of a mouse.
Along with heavy spring and summer rain storms comes thousands of pounds of fertilizer, chemicals, E. coli bacteria and other pollutants flushed into lakes, rivers and wetlands.
“What we’re trying to do is figure out how well the ponds are removing the pollution that comes from the storm water and what impact the storm water has on the creek,” said Arnold Swackhamer, a University of Minnesota researcher.
U of M researchers are doing that with state of the art solar powered sensors at Lake Pamela in Edina, Minn.
“It’s got a pH sensor, temperature, dissolved oxygen,” said Chris Wennen, a University of Minnesota Research assistant.
Information from the hydro-lab is recorded in a box on shore. Then a cell phone sends the data to the Univeristy’s St. Anthony Falls lab where scientists can monitor it in real time. That can be used to help prevent fish kills.
“So if the oxygen levels drops below a certain level, it’s not good for the fish. Or if the nitrogen levels are too high that’s also bad for the fish. And our information provides that in real time,” said Swackhamer.
It can also warn people about contaminated lakes before they go in the water.
“So if we see certain patterns in the data, we can say … the conditions are ripe for a Coliform outbreak and people shouldn’t swim for the next 24 hours,” said Swackhamer. “Because the information goes up online … we’re hoping eventually to actually build models which will give us water quality forecasts that say the conditions are ripe so that boating or swimming isn’t recommended.”
It’s also a key tool to improve water quality much faster.
About 100 sensors will be installed in the next decade. Researchers have already learned wetlands filter pollutants better than ever expected.
