U-DATinos: An automated IoT device for monitoring water quality in lakes and rivers

The aquatic environment plays an extremely important role in the existence of life on Earth. However, aquatic ecosystems are directly at risk from increasing pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss, which makes it more than necessary to keep them constantly and thoroughly monitored. Until recently, water quality monitoring was carried out by periodic sampling when weather or other conditions permitted. In recent decades, the need for continuing and uninterrupted measurements has become imperative due to population growth, urbanization and modernization of infrastructure that create problems of wastewater discharge and surface water pollution in particular.

The U-DATinos team of the 2nd Exemplary Junior High School of Athens (U comes from the word Ubiquitous, DAT from the word Data and the name of the team U-DATinos refers to the Greek word ΥΔΑΤΙΝΟΣ - AQUATIC), assumed the design and the operation of an automated device based on the Internet of Things (IoT) technology to monitor the water quality in a river or a lake. The project aimed to motivate and engage students to seek and acquire knowledge and to develop skills and practices through design challenge and problem-solving techniques.

The development by students of an automated system that monitors water physico–chemical parameters is feasible with equipment that is easy to use and has a relatively low cost. For this purpose, the Arduino digital platform was chosen, to which a number of sensors was connected: temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, TDS and electrical conductivity. A GSM/GPRS/GPS shield was used to connect the device with the network and the ThingSpeak platform was selected to collect, store, analyze and display the live data stream (https://github.com/tziortzioti/waterQualitySensing). The water quality monitor station in its final form, was placed in a watertight box, and powered by a power bank for better portability.

Α number of educational STEM activities has been designed in which students gain knowledge and understanding of the basic physical and chemical water parameters in aquatic ecosystems; and develop the ability to correlate, interpret and evaluate changes in these parameters. Through these activities, students cultivate knowledge and skills in mathematics (systems of equations, data logging, graphs, statistical analysis), physical science (correlation of physico-chemical parameters, measurements and errors estimation, electrical circuits), engineering (design of measurement devices, sensors calibration, use of equipment) and technology (digital platform programming).