Express method for investigating natural water quality using a sensor device based on surface plasmon resonance and a conductometer
Abstract
Background: One of the urgent contemporary issues is natural water pollution, which directly affects humanity's life support. This problem is associated with industrial and agricultural intensification and climate change. Water quality standards in Ukraine are defined by state standards, which regulate both organoleptic properties, such as turbidity and odor, and permissible concentrations of harmful substances.
Objective: The objective of this study was to develop a methodology for rapid natural water quality assessment using the SPR method and a conductometer and to simultaneously determine the durability of sensors with protective coatings.
Materials and methods: This study explores the feasibility of combining surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and conductometric methods to monitor the quality of natural water. The first stage involved modeling the concentration dependencies of SPR parameters and conductivity when adding controlled amounts of organic (sugar) and inorganic (table salt and soda) impurities to distilled water. Biological contamination was simulated using live yeast suspensions. Subsequently, samples of coastal water from the Dnipro River in Kyiv, the Stugna River near Vasylkiv, and a pond connected to the Stugna River near Borova village in Fastiv district were analyzed. All SPR studies were conducted using an improved sensor element with an additional protective zinc oxide layer, which reduced measurement errors typically associated with sensor replacement. To validate the reliability of the rapid assessment methods, water samples were additionally analyzed using standard laboratory methods at "Ukrkhimanaliz".
Results: The SPR results indicated that the Stugna River was the most polluted, followed by the pond, with the Dnipro River exhibiting the least pollution.
Conclusions: Summarizing the measurement results, it can be concluded that combining SPR and conductivity measurements enables rapid and objective assessment of natural water pollution levels. This corresponds to the total harmful impurities. Given the small dimensions and autonomy of the devices used in the developed methodology, river water monitoring can be carried out in field conditions by one person.
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References
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Copyright (c) 2025 N. V. Kachur, A. V. Fedorenko, H. V. Dorozinska, V. M. Ryzhykh, V. P. Maslov (Author)
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