Citizen-led sampling to monitor phosphate levels in freshwater environments using a simple paper microfluidic device.

Contamination of waterways is of increasing concern, with recent studies demonstrating elevated levels of antibiotics, antidepressants, household, agricultural and industrial chemicals in freshwater systems. Thus, there is a growing demand for methods to rapidly and conveniently monitor contaminants...

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Main Authors: Samantha Richardson, Alexander Iles, Jeanette M Rotchell, Tim Charlson, Annabel Hanson, Mark Lorch, Nicole Pamme
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0260102&type=printable
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author Samantha Richardson
Alexander Iles
Jeanette M Rotchell
Tim Charlson
Annabel Hanson
Mark Lorch
Nicole Pamme
author_facet Samantha Richardson
Alexander Iles
Jeanette M Rotchell
Tim Charlson
Annabel Hanson
Mark Lorch
Nicole Pamme
author_sort Samantha Richardson
collection DOAJ
description Contamination of waterways is of increasing concern, with recent studies demonstrating elevated levels of antibiotics, antidepressants, household, agricultural and industrial chemicals in freshwater systems. Thus, there is a growing demand for methods to rapidly and conveniently monitor contaminants in waterways. Here we demonstrate how a combination of paper microfluidic devices and handheld mobile technology can be used by citizen scientists to carry out a sustained water monitoring campaign. We have developed a paper-based analytical device and a 3 minute sampling workflow that requires no more than a container, a test device and a smartphone app. The contaminant measured in these pilots are phosphates, detectable down to 3 mg L-1. Together these allow volunteers to successfully carry out cost-effective, high frequency, phosphate monitoring over an extended geographies and periods.
format Article
id doaj-art-6d5e053d4e2c4ca78e2dfde116263e06
institution OA Journals
issn 1932-6203
language English
publishDate 2021-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj-art-6d5e053d4e2c4ca78e2dfde116263e062025-08-20T02:02:10ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-011612e026010210.1371/journal.pone.0260102Citizen-led sampling to monitor phosphate levels in freshwater environments using a simple paper microfluidic device.Samantha RichardsonAlexander IlesJeanette M RotchellTim CharlsonAnnabel HansonMark LorchNicole PammeContamination of waterways is of increasing concern, with recent studies demonstrating elevated levels of antibiotics, antidepressants, household, agricultural and industrial chemicals in freshwater systems. Thus, there is a growing demand for methods to rapidly and conveniently monitor contaminants in waterways. Here we demonstrate how a combination of paper microfluidic devices and handheld mobile technology can be used by citizen scientists to carry out a sustained water monitoring campaign. We have developed a paper-based analytical device and a 3 minute sampling workflow that requires no more than a container, a test device and a smartphone app. The contaminant measured in these pilots are phosphates, detectable down to 3 mg L-1. Together these allow volunteers to successfully carry out cost-effective, high frequency, phosphate monitoring over an extended geographies and periods.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0260102&type=printable
spellingShingle Samantha Richardson
Alexander Iles
Jeanette M Rotchell
Tim Charlson
Annabel Hanson
Mark Lorch
Nicole Pamme
Citizen-led sampling to monitor phosphate levels in freshwater environments using a simple paper microfluidic device.
PLoS ONE
title Citizen-led sampling to monitor phosphate levels in freshwater environments using a simple paper microfluidic device.
title_full Citizen-led sampling to monitor phosphate levels in freshwater environments using a simple paper microfluidic device.
title_fullStr Citizen-led sampling to monitor phosphate levels in freshwater environments using a simple paper microfluidic device.
title_full_unstemmed Citizen-led sampling to monitor phosphate levels in freshwater environments using a simple paper microfluidic device.
title_short Citizen-led sampling to monitor phosphate levels in freshwater environments using a simple paper microfluidic device.
title_sort citizen led sampling to monitor phosphate levels in freshwater environments using a simple paper microfluidic device
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0260102&type=printable
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