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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - WaterSpy (High sensitivity, portable photonic device for pervasive water quality analysis)

Teaser

Summary

In a water distribution network, hazardous contaminants can be introduced into the system by intentional sabotage, illegal disposal of wastewater, terrorist attack, accident or due to naturally occurring incidences. Quick and reliable water quality monitoring data is critical for detecting environmental pollution and reacting in the best possible way to avoid human health hazards. However, itâ€™s not easy to gather such data. Currently, water utilities rely heavily on frequent sampling and laboratory analysis in order to acquire this information. This method is time-consuming, expensive, and usually does not provide the necessary immediate input on notifying authorities.
For the situation to be improved, compact, portable and high-performance devices for pervasive water quality monitoring are required. Such devices should expand current limitations in detecting contaminants, transcending todayâ€™s paradigms, and bridging different technologies available, allowing on-line monitoring of possible contaminants.
The WaterSpy project addresses this challenge by developing water quality analysis photonics technology suitable for inline, field measurements. WaterSpy technology will be integrated, for validation purposes, to an existing water quality monitoring platform, in the form of a portable device add-on. It will be used in the field for the analysis of critical points of water distribution networks. This will be demonstrated in two different demo sites in Italy:
- Prato water treatment plant
- Genova water distribution network
WaterSpy is taking advantage of advances in cutting edge photonic devices, in order to provide new capabilities in water analysis. The main objective of the WaterSpy team is to develop a device that will require about 7h for a full water sample analysis of 100 mL. This is in line with the EC and national regulations that require that no bacteria should be present in a sample of 100mL of drinkable water. With currently used systems, the same analysis could take up to 3 days.

Work performed

One of the first activities has been to define the user requirements. In parallel, the description of the demonstration locations was prepared. Furthermore, a study of existing water quality analysis instrumentation and current practices was made. The study concludes to statements regarding the innovation potentials of WaterSpy.
As a next step, preliminary experiments were performed for facilitating the drafting of the technical specifications and for understanding the limitations of todayâ€™s technologies. Regulatory requirements were examined, in order to define how regulations affect the targets set by the project. The above were used for preparing the WaterSpy device target specifications and conceptual design. Results are presented in D2.2. Evaluation metrics for the device were also set in this period (D2.3).
In the second semester, the development of the various WaterSpy subsystems started. Regarding the QCLs, a preliminary version was prepared and delivered (D3.1) on M0. Two different lasers were prepared for use in experiments. Later on, a new laser was also produced, including upgraded control electronics (D3.2). Finally, the lasers optimised for the selected spectra were produced towards the end of this period (D3.3).
The development of the first version of the photodetectors was also completed. Furthermore, a new auto-balanced amplifier was designed, produced and used for the first integration experiments.
A lot of effort was dedicated to the pre-concentration module development. The original approach was to use a 2-steps ultrasound (US) pre-concentration method. Nevertheless, it was proven that this would not be adequate, thus US will only be used as the final stage of pre-concentration. The first pre-concentration steps will be based on a method developed by a subcontractor. Experiments and simulations took place regarding the ATR configuration setup. The first version of all WaterSpy device hardware and software modules was delivered in this period (D5.1). Those modules were used for the mid-project integration testing (D6.1) with positive results.
In terms of dissemination activities, the project website has been setup and the first three versions of the dissemination & communication plan were prepared. Two press releases were issued, while social media accounts were prepared and are regularly used. The first 4 versions of the WaterSpy dissemination and communication kit were also submitted. Three conference publications were made in this first project period. The first version of the business plan was also delivered (D8.20).
Regarding management and administrative activities, the projectâ€™s quality assurance plan, as well as the Data management plan were prepared in this period.

Final results

The project answers the need for pervasive and on-line water quality monitoring, without having to wait for laboratory results. Progress beyond the state of the art is expected in several aspects, starting from the device itself. In fact, current techniques for water quality monitoring require long waiting times, which increases the risk of late detection of a biological threat.
In terms of lasers, WaterSpy will be using novel QCLs that use the Vernier effect to tune their transmission spectrum in a highly selective way, allowing for high specificity and completely eliminating the need for optics between the light source and the light sensor. The project will for the first time result in a compact system which uses a large number of sources in the Mid-IR. The know how developed will also be an enabling technology for a large number of applications in bio-sensing, security and high-speed communications.
For the photodetector, sensitive HOT photodetectors will be used, custom built for the needs of the WaterSpy device. The aim is to develop photodetectors that require relatively low cooling. The GaAs immersion lens that will be used will increase the apparent optical area of the photodetector by more than 2 orders of magnitude in comparison with the non-immersed device of the same physical area. This results in a corresponding reduction of the dark current & capacitance, which is essential for the performance of the device.
A novel technique for particles concentration is also being used as part of the WaterSpyâ€™s pre-concentration module. Ultrasound waves will be pushing the targeted bacteria towards the ATR surface, as a way to increase the device sensitivity. The systemâ€™s sensitivity is also being enriched through the use of a bio-sensing â€œsmartâ€ surface. Different approaches are being studied on the exact â€œsmartâ€ surface configuration, in combination with the ATR crystal.
In terms of impact, WaterSpy has a significant potential, due its applicability in the industry. The global water-related instrumentation market is estimated at over $20 billion. A significant advantage for WaterSpyâ€™s fast commercialisation is AUGâ€™s involvement in the project. In fact, the first version of the WaterSpy device will be developed as an add-on to AUGâ€™s TRITON product, thus minimising the need for research on power, communication and sample pre-processing issues. It is also evident that the availability of WaterSpy in the market could have a significant impact first of all on the quality of life, health and safety of citizens. The technology developed through WaterSpy could also be exploited after the project for the detection of additional analytes and not only bacteria.