AIRWAVES SIGNED

Project "AIRWAVES" data sheet

The following table provides information about the project.

 Partnership

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 Project objective

A new automated water sampling technology was developed under the ERC Consolidator Grant STEEPclim with the potential to revolutionize environmental monitoring worldwide. A changing climate and growing scarcity of water strongly increase the need of reliable standardized and highly automated environmental monitoring, thus creating a growing market for our innovative solution. Our first prototype successfully operated under field conditions. Now we seek funding to further develop this device and explore commercialization pathways. Today, rain water, river discharge and climate are monitored routinely with high temporal resolution using quality sensors, but no adequate automated technology for obtaining representative samples for laboratory grade analysis is available for weather services, hydromet offices, chemical industry or research institutions. So far taking, preserving and analyzing samples from natural waters is meticulous, labor intensive and expensive. Isotope signatures in water are ideal tracers of processes in the water cycle. Stable isotope analysis of precipitation can identify changing atmospheric circulation patterns and the origin of groundwater. They can also be used for the reconstruction of paleoclimate from ancient waters locked in geological archives. The analysis of fruits, food and drink products, of drugs, explosives and human remains is used to identify their regional provenance. For this purpose a robust understanding of the modern distribution of isotopes in space and time is indispensable. The autonomous and robust sampler introduced here is designed to fulfill the high demands on sampling and storage for isotope analysis. It is portable, has low power consumption and can be accessed remotely for maintenance and to adapt the sampling protocol strategy. The obtained water samples are not restricted to isotope analysis but can be used for any type of environmental water analysis.