Journal article
Use of real-time sensors for compliance monitoring of nitrate in finished drinking water
Water science and technology, Vol.82(12), pp.2725-2736
12/2020
DOI: 10.2166/wst.2020.365
PMID: 33341765
Abstract
Across the Midwestern United States, Public Water Systems (PWSs) struggle with high levels of nitrate in source waters from intense agricultural activity. Leveraging a sensor network deployed across Iowa surface waters, we evaluated the potential of the Hach Nitratax SC Plus, which uses UV-light absorption to quantify dissolved nitrate-nitrite (NO
-N) down to 0.1 mg-N L
, for real-time monitoring of NO
-N in drinking water. For six different PWSs over multiple years, we compare NO
-N levels in source waters (surface and groundwater under surface influence) to those measured via traditional methods (e.g., ion chromatography (IC)) for US EPA compliance monitoring. At one large PWS, we also evaluated sensor performance when applied to near-finished drinking water (filter effluent). We find good agreement between traditional analytical methods and in situ sensors. For example, for 771 filter effluent samples from 2006-2011, IC analysis averaged NO
-N of 5.8 mg L
while corresponding sensor measurements averaged 5.7 mg L
with a mean absolute error of 0.23 (5.6%). We identify several benefits of using real-time sensors in PWSs, including improved frequency to capture elevated NO
-N levels and as decision-support tools for NO
-N management.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Use of real-time sensors for compliance monitoring of nitrate in finished drinking water
- Creators
- Christopher S Jones - IIHR Hydroscience and Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA E-mail: david-cwiertny@uiowa.eduTianyi Li - University of Iowa Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USAAlex Sukalski - University of Iowa Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, Iowa City, IA, USA; Public Policy Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USADarrin A Thompson - University of Iowa Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, IA, USADavid M Cwiertny - IIHR Hydroscience and Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA E-mail: david-cwiertny@uiowa.edu; University of Iowa Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, Iowa City, IA, USA; Public Policy Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iowa, 4105 Seamans Center for the Engineering Arts and Sciences, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Water science and technology, Vol.82(12), pp.2725-2736
- Publisher
- England
- DOI
- 10.2166/wst.2020.365
- PMID
- 33341765
- ISSN
- 0273-1223
- eISSN
- 1996-9732
- Grant note
- name: Iowa Nutrient Research Center
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/2020
- Academic Unit
- Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Occupational and Environmental Health; IIHR--Hydroscience and Engineering; Public Policy Center (Archive); Chemistry; Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984066345702771
Metrics
11 Record Views