The Problem
By Lamiot via Wikimedia Commons
A type of bacteria called cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue green algae, can be found in fresh water sources all over the world. The cyanobacteria can reproduce rapidly in a blooming period. During the bloom the bacteria can secrete toxins, which can be harmful to aquatic life, humans, and other mammals. In our project we are concerned with a particular toxin called Microcystin-LR (MCLR) which can damage a mammal’s liver.
Cyanobacteria is causing problems here in the Midwest. It has affected water sources for people and livestock as well as swimming areas. Currently the methods for detecting the presence of MCLR are slow and expensive. For instance, if a farmer’s cow gets sick and he/she suspects that it is because of a cyanobacteria bloom in a pond that the livestock drink form, he/she can take a sample of the water and send it to a lab to be analyzed.
There are several problems with the existing test method. The first is the slow turnaround of the process: it takes at least a week for someone to send a sample of water to a lab where it is analyzed and results are sent back. In the end the analysis may not help because cyanobacteria blooms can run their course in just a couple days. The device that is used in labs to detect MCLR is large and cumbersome so it is not practical to bring on site. Finally, the current measurement devices are too expensive and require too much technical knowledge for the average individual to justify owning it.
Cyanobacteria is causing problems here in the Midwest. It has affected water sources for people and livestock as well as swimming areas. Currently the methods for detecting the presence of MCLR are slow and expensive. For instance, if a farmer’s cow gets sick and he/she suspects that it is because of a cyanobacteria bloom in a pond that the livestock drink form, he/she can take a sample of the water and send it to a lab to be analyzed.
There are several problems with the existing test method. The first is the slow turnaround of the process: it takes at least a week for someone to send a sample of water to a lab where it is analyzed and results are sent back. In the end the analysis may not help because cyanobacteria blooms can run their course in just a couple days. The device that is used in labs to detect MCLR is large and cumbersome so it is not practical to bring on site. Finally, the current measurement devices are too expensive and require too much technical knowledge for the average individual to justify owning it.
Our solution
The struggle that Midwestern farmers are experiencing to get fast, reliable, inexpensive test results suggests a need for a device that can test their water for the bacteria. Our goal is to design a system that provides a quick, accurate, and substantially less expensive measurement method that the average user can easily operate.
The proposed system needs to detect the capacitance change seen by an electrode in the presence of Microcystin-LR. The device should take advantage of a study done regarding the relationship between Microcystin and electrode capacitance.
The proposed system needs to detect the capacitance change seen by an electrode in the presence of Microcystin-LR. The device should take advantage of a study done regarding the relationship between Microcystin and electrode capacitance.