Smart alert against harmful cyanobacteria blooms for the water industry
PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES:
Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic microorganisms present in the phytoplankton of lakes and reservoirs. When temperature conditions are favorable and over-enrichment (eutrophication) of the environment in nutrients occurs, mainly phosphorus and nitrogen, a massive increase in algae and cyanobacteria occurs, many of the latter being harmful. This phenomenon is called blooms in English, or Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) and, if it is dominated by cyanobacteria, CyanoHAB. The negative consequences of harmful cyanobacteria are very diverse: generation of foam and unpleasant odors, detriment to water quality, death of fauna (especially fish) due to oxygen deficiency and, most importantly, production of powerful toxins for human beings, which can also cause the death of other animals, such as fish and birds.
The objective of CianoAlert proposed in this proposal is to develop a real-time intelligent monitoring and alert system to warn of the development of cyanobacteria blooms in water bodies intended for consumption and aquaculture facilities. The solution proposed by CianoAlert, which will allow large areas to be monitored, will combine wireless sensor network technology (sensors placed in the water) with telecommunications and intelligent user interface technologies, and the incorporation of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) technology as remote sensing devices to obtain relevant information on the degree of impact and the distribution and density of cyanobacteria for the implementation of a specific and sensitive system in real time, easy to handle and understand.
More specifically, the CIANOALERT project mainly pursues the following objectives:
- Determination of the environmental conditions of the parameters that trigger cyanobacteria blooms, both in the pilot area (las Conchas reservoir – Ourense) and in the validation area (Lires fish farm, on the Castro river).
- Monitoring key cyanobacteria growth parameters using sensors and wireless networks.
- Development and implementation of a DSS (Decision Support System), hosted in the “cloud”, which will integrate an early warning model for the development of cyanobacteria blooms.
- Incorporation of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) technology as remote sensing devices to obtain relevant information on the degree of impact and the distribution and density of cyanobacteria and the deployment of sensors in inaccessible or remote areas.
- Treatment and visualization of sensor data and alert management, through mobile applications.
- Evaluation of the function of the sensors and the monitoring system in the validation area.
- Carry out an economic analysis evaluating the economic costs and benefits of CianoAlert and the different technical options.
PARTNERS:
- Innovati Services S.L. (Consortium leader)
- IMDEA Water
- Sensing and Control
- Group Three Tide
- FADA-CATEC
FINANCING:
Project financed by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness
Project co-financed by the FEDER funds of the European Union
Promote technological development, innovation and quality research.
