Technical note: An open-source, low-cost system for continuous monitoring of low nitrate concentrations in soil and open water

Sahiti Bulusu, Cristina Prieto García, Helen E. Dahlke, Elad Levintal

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Nitrate (NO 3 ), mainly leaching with soil porewater, is the primary nonpoint source pollutant of groundwater worldwide. Obtaining real-time information on nitrate levels in soils would allow for gaining a better understanding of the sources and transport dynamics of nitrate through the unsaturated zone. However, conventional nitrate detection techniques (e.g., soil sample analysis) necessitate costly, laboratory-grade equipment for analysis, along with human resources, resulting in a laborious and time-intensive procedure. These drawbacks raise the need to develop cost-effective and automated systems for in situ nitrate measurements in field conditions. This study presents the development of a low-cost, portable, automated system for field measurements of nitrate in soil porewater and open water bodies. The system is based on the spectrophotometric determination of nitrate using a single reagent. The system design and processing software are openly accessible, including a building guide, to allow duplicating or changing the system according to user-specific needs. Three field tests, conducted over 5 weeks, validated the system’s measurement capabilities within the range of 0–10 ppm NO 3 –N with a low RMSE of < 0.2 ppm NO 3 –N when comparing the results to standard laboratory nitrate analysis. Data derived from such a system allow for tracking of the temporal variation in soil nitrate, thus opening new possibilities for diverse soil and nutrient management studies.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3007-3013
Number of pages7
JournalBiogeosciences
Volume21
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - 25 Jun 2024

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Earth-Surface Processes

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