At the beginning of October, a joint measurement campaign will start, of which Observator is part. Various nitrate sensors will be tested at the Rijkswaterstaat measuring station in the Maas near Eijsden, the Netherlands. The RIVM, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, has taken the initiative for this as part of the WaterSNIP program. WaterSNIP is looking for a method to measure the effects of fertilizer policy on water quality using sensors. Nitrate is an important parameter with which the leaching of fertilizers can be measured.

In this measurement campaign, the various techniques and sensors are investigated. As a reference, water samples are also analysed in the lab. The sensors are compared with each other and with the lab results. This gives an insight into the quality and applicability of the various methods for measuring nitrate online. Rob Beun, Observator’s hydro specialist: ‘By conducting the trial together, we learn from each other and come closer to a uniform ready-to-use method.’

The measurement campaign is a collaboration between the following parties: Aquon, Deltares, Eijkelkamp, ​​Endress + Hauser, Hach, Microlan, Observator Instruments, IMEC OnePlanet, Ott HydroMet, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat), Technolution and Qsenz.

For this measurement campaign, Observator deploys the Systea WIZ probe. In addition to Systea’s auto-analyser technique, Observator offers instruments from TriOS and Xylem/YSI.

• UV-vis method
  • TriOS NICO Sensor
  • TriOS OPUS Sensor
• ISE method
  • YSI EXO-series Multiparameter Sonde
  • YSI ProDSS Multiparameter Handheld
  • YSI ProSwap Digital Water Quality Meter

About WaterSNIP
WaterSNIP stands for Water Sensors Nutrients Innovation Program. It is an innovation program of the so called LMM, a national monitoring network related to the effects of the manure policy. At the moment, thousands of chemical analyses are performed every year on samples taken in the field. At the same time, we are continuously facing new technological developments and there are increasing opportunities to automatically measure the environmental quality with sensors.

WaterSNIP is a four-year program (2019 – 2022). During this period, the program investigates how sensors and other innovations can contribute to monitoring the water quality in the LMM. This makes the LMM future-proof.

The RIVM – National Institute for Public Health and the Environment – is the initiator of WaterSNIP, but the emphasis is on cooperation with other parties, including Observator.

About Observator
As an ISO-9001-2015 certified company, we – from Observator – apply the highest quality standards to our products and systems. However, as a trend-setting developer and supplier in a wide variety of industries, we are also continuously pushing the boundaries. By developing new, innovative products and by offering uncompromised support, we are able to guarantee solutions that exceed all expectations. That’s what sets us apart.

Source: https://www.rivm.nl/watersnip/actueel#Meetcampagne
Photo courtesy of RIVM / Rijkswaterstaat.