Contaminant Detection Using Multiple Conventional Water Quality Sensors in an Early Warning System

In this approach, a method, utilizing the data series from multivariate parameters to detect contaminant events in a quick time, is proposed. Eight parameters: pH, turbidity, conductivity, temperature, oxidation-reduction potential, UV-254, nitrate-nitrogen and phosphate, are used in this research and the most commonly used herbicide, glyphosate, is selected as the test contaminant. Variations of all parameters are recorded in real time at different concentrations. The results show that the proposed method could detect a glyphosate contamination 1 minute after the introduction of contaminant at the concentration of 2 mg/l using responses from online water quality sensors. It was also noticed that the patterns of sensor correlative responses were contaminant dependent and the magnitude was related to contaminant concentration.