T.E. Laboratories (Tellab) is an Irish chemical analysis company with the ambition of rolling out a low-cost in-situ total nutrient all-matrix water monitoring system for use in measuring the levels of nitrates/nitrites, phosphates and ammonia in both salt- and fresh water for use by large and small users globally. Our solution ensures that all workers and managers find the solution intuitively easy to use and interpret regardless of their technical background
The problem is that currently, the most commonly used method for measuring levels of chemical pollutants is the physical collection of a spot/grab (bottle) sample that is then analysed back in the laboratory. Although well established, it has a number of disadvantages, including cost, the results often become available only after several days and it only shows a snapshot of a measured variable at the instant of sampling. Additionally, the complexity, short deployment endurance and high cost of current in-situ monitoring systems make them unaffordable and impractical for many users to put into practice. This is especially true for small scale operations.
Our innovative solution, the H2OMon water monitoring system, is rooted in the clear market-pull caused by the industrial and domestic need to comply with increasingly tightly policed water nutrient pollution regulations, infringements of which carry heavy fines. Our solution offers analysis of a number of parameters by an autonomous microfluidic device which can perform in-situ calibration and high -frequency measurements over long deployment periods. Its in-built communication system and process control add-on enable the user to remotely monitor water quality in treatment plants, lakes, rivers, estuaries and coastal zones, alerting them via immediate warning on the detection of a pollutant and enabling immediate action to be taken to limit environmental damage. H2OMon translates traditional water monitoring assets into “smart assets” that provide real-time information. This enables decision makers to make interventional, operational and safety decisions based on the actual condition of the water. This paradigm shift from a slow reactive to a quick reactive and potentially preventative approach offers several environmental benefits including, speed of response, mitigation of pollutant effect, reductions in down time for industry and reductions in risk to personnel.
The overall objective and approach of the H2OMon project is to pilot and commercialise our hardware/software solution.
