V. Kayastha, C. Simmons, C. Jones, A. Neeson, B. Karmakar, W. Bowen, S. Gumm, A. Peters, D. Padilla
Brewer Science, Inc.,
United States
Keywords: water quality, real-time monitoring, ion selective membrane, lead, pH, total dissolved solids, PFAS
Summary:
In this talk, we will present a compact, cost-effective water quality monitoring (WQM) system that Brewer Science has been developing to provide real-time data on key water quality parameters such as lead (Pb), pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), and temperature (RTD). The system consists of an array of sensors and system components (flow cell, microfluidics, electronics, and user interface), in a small-footprint package. The sensors are fabricated on a ceramic substrate using screen printing, metal sputtering, and ink dispensing methods. The system is customizable to add sensors for additional analytes of interest and can accept grab samples or be installed in-line to monitor drinking water or industrial wastewater. To ensure accuracy over the life of the device, the system has a built-in auto-calibration process. The monitoring system can detect Pb in water at levels as low as 10 ppb and pH in the range of 2-11, with <0.2 pH accuracy. The Pb and pH measurements use electrochemical sensors with ion selective membranes (ISM) to achieve ion selectivity while the RTD and TDS sensors are made of sputtered platinum. Brewer Science, a global leading innovator and producer of critical materials and processes for the semiconductor and advanced packaging industry for over 40 years, is using its core competency of sensing materials development, functionalization, formulation, and manufacturing to develop the ISM and encapsulant materials needed for the sensors and interconnects. The WQM system will offer a cost-effective, compact, field-deployable option to detect, analyze, and quantify the contaminant analytes in water on-site in real time, without the need for sample preparation. This will overcome limitations of existing standard lab analytical methods such as ICP-MS and LC-MS which suffer from bulky and expensive instrumentation, need for extensive sample preparation, heavy analytical cost, and extended turnaround times, in addition to their inability of real-time monitoring and field deployment. The monitoring system will cut lab sample preparation, labor, analytical, and turnaround times and can serve as a field-based rapid, cost-effective screening technology or alarm system. The benefit will be knowledge of water quality conditions in real time, risk evaluation, actionable decision making, and risk management in a timely manner to protect water resources such as drinking water and water from lakes, streams, rivers, and industrial processes which is critical to human health, aquatic life, and the entire ecosystem. Brewer Science is also developing electrochemical ammonia, water hardness (Ca, Mg), and carbon-based resistive PFAS sensors to expand the system capability to detect and measure analytes that may exist in other water resources such as water from dredging operations, groundwater, and semiconductor manufacturing wastewater. An update on our PFAS, ammonia, and water hardness sensor development will also be provided during the talk.