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Amador-Castro F, González-López ME, Lopez-Gonzalez G, Garcia-Gonzalez A, Díaz-Torres O, Carbajal-Espinosa O, Gradilla-Hernández MS. Internet of Things and citizen science as alternative water quality monitoring approaches and the importance of effective water quality communication. J Environ Manage 2024; 352:119959. [PMID: 38194871 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
The increasing demand for water and worsening climate change place significant pressure on this vital resource, making its preservation a global priority. Water quality monitoring programs are essential for effectively managing this resource. Current programs rely on traditional monitoring approaches, leading to limitations such as low spatiotemporal resolution and high operational costs. Despite the adoption of novel monitoring approaches that enable better data resolution, the public's comprehension of water quality matters remains low, primarily due to communication process deficiencies. This study explores the advantages and challenges of using Internet of Things (IoT) and citizen science as alternative monitoring approaches, emphasizing the need for enhancing public communication of water quality data. Through a systematic review of studies implemented on-field, we identify and propose strategies to address five key challenges that IoT and citizen science monitoring approaches must overcome to mature into robust sources of water quality information. Additionally, we highlight three fundamental problems affecting the water quality communication process and outline strategies to convey this topic effectively to the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Amador-Castro
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Av. General Ramon Corona No. 2514, 45201, Zapopan, Jal., Mexico
| | - Martín Esteban González-López
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Av. General Ramon Corona No. 2514, 45201, Zapopan, Jal., Mexico
| | - Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez
- Water@leeds, School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Alejandro Garcia-Gonzalez
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de La Salud, Av. General Ramon Corona No. 2514, 45201, Zapopan, Jal., Mexico
| | - Osiris Díaz-Torres
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Av. General Ramon Corona No. 2514, 45201, Zapopan, Jal., Mexico
| | - Oscar Carbajal-Espinosa
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Av. General Ramon Corona No. 2514, 45201, Zapopan, Jal., Mexico
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Uddin MG, Rahman A, Nash S, Diganta MTM, Sajib AM, Moniruzzaman M, Olbert AI. Marine waters assessment using improved water quality model incorporating machine learning approaches. J Environ Manage 2023; 344:118368. [PMID: 37364491 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
In marine ecosystems, both living and non-living organisms depend on "good" water quality. It depends on a number of factors, and one of the most important is the quality of the water. The water quality index (WQI) model is widely used to assess water quality, but existing models have uncertainty issues. To address this, the authors introduced two new WQI models: the weight based weighted quadratic mean (WQM) and unweighted based root mean squared (RMS) models. These models were used to assess water quality in the Bay of Bengal, using seven water quality indicators including salinity (SAL), temperature (TEMP), pH, transparency (TRAN), dissolved oxygen (DOX), total oxidized nitrogen (TON), and molybdate reactive phosphorus (MRP). Both models ranked water quality between "good" and "fair" categories, with no significant difference between the weighted and unweighted models' results. The models showed considerable variation in the computed WQI scores, ranging from 68 to 88 with an average of 75 for WQM and 70 to 76 with an average of 72 for RMS. The models did not have any issues with sub-index or aggregation functions, and both had a high level of sensitivity (R2 = 1) in terms of the spatio-temporal resolution of waterbodies. The study demonstrated that both WQI approaches effectively assessed marine waters, reducing uncertainty and improving the accuracy of the WQI score.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Galal Uddin
- School of Engineering, University of Galway, Ireland; Ryan Institute, University of Galway, Ireland; MaREI Research Centre, University of Galway, Ireland; Eco HydroInformatics Research Group (EHIRG), School of Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Ireland.
| | - Azizur Rahman
- School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia; The Gulbali Institute of Agriculture, Water and Environment, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia
| | - Stephen Nash
- School of Engineering, University of Galway, Ireland; Ryan Institute, University of Galway, Ireland; MaREI Research Centre, University of Galway, Ireland
| | - Mir Talas Mahammad Diganta
- School of Engineering, University of Galway, Ireland; Ryan Institute, University of Galway, Ireland; MaREI Research Centre, University of Galway, Ireland; Eco HydroInformatics Research Group (EHIRG), School of Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Ireland
| | - Abdul Majed Sajib
- School of Engineering, University of Galway, Ireland; Ryan Institute, University of Galway, Ireland; MaREI Research Centre, University of Galway, Ireland; Eco HydroInformatics Research Group (EHIRG), School of Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Ireland
| | - Md Moniruzzaman
- The Department of Geography and Environment, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Agnieszka I Olbert
- School of Engineering, University of Galway, Ireland; Ryan Institute, University of Galway, Ireland; MaREI Research Centre, University of Galway, Ireland; Eco HydroInformatics Research Group (EHIRG), School of Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Ireland
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von Gönner J, Bowler DE, Gröning J, Klauer AK, Liess M, Neuer L, Bonn A. Citizen science for assessing pesticide impacts in agricultural streams. Sci Total Environ 2023; 857:159607. [PMID: 36273564 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The majority of central European streams are in poor ecological condition. Pesticide inputs from terrestrial habitats present a key threat to sensitive insects in streams. Both standardized stream monitoring data and societal support are needed to conserve and restore freshwater habitats. Citizen science (CS) offers potential to complement international freshwater monitoring while it is often viewed critically due to concerns about data accuracy. Here, we developed a CS program based on the Water Framework Directive that enables citizen scientists to provide data on stream hydromorphology, physicochemical status and benthic macroinvertebrates to apply the trait-based bio-indicator SPEARpesticides for pesticide exposure. We compared CS monitoring data with professional data across 28 central German stream sites and could show that both CS and professional monitoring identified a similar average proportion of pesticide-sensitive macroinvertebrate taxa per stream site (20 %). CS data were highly correlated to the professional data for both stream hydromorphology and SPEARpesticides (r = 0.72 and 0.76). To assess the extent to which CS macroinvertebrate data can indicate pesticide exposure, we tested the relationship of CS generated SPEARpesticides values and measured pesticide concentrations at 21 stream sites, and found a fair correlation similar to professional results. We conclude that given appropriate training and support, citizen scientists can generate valid data on the ecological status and pesticide contamination of streams. By complementing official monitoring, data from well-managed CS programs can advance freshwater science and enhance the implementation of freshwater conservation goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia von Gönner
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Ecosystem Services, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Biodiversity, Dornburgerstr.159, 07743 Jena, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Diana E Bowler
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Biodiversity, Dornburgerstr.159, 07743 Jena, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Benson Lane, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Jonas Gröning
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department System-Ecotoxicology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anna-Katharina Klauer
- Saxony State Foundation for Nature and the Environment (LaNU), Riesaer Str. 7, 01129 Dresden, Germany
| | - Matthias Liess
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department System-Ecotoxicology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lilian Neuer
- Friends of the Earth Germany e.V. (BUND), Kaiserin-Augusta-Allee 5, 10553 Berlin, Germany
| | - Aletta Bonn
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Ecosystem Services, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Biodiversity, Dornburgerstr.159, 07743 Jena, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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