An autonomous field sensor for Total Coliform and E.coli monitoring at remote sites

We present the Autonomous Microbiological Alert Sensor (AMAS), an automatic and remotely-controlled microbiology sensor for field Total Coliform (TC) and Escherichia Coli (E. coli) quantification at remote or difficult-to-access sites. Deployed directly in the environment like a floating buoy, the AMAS is fully waterproof and is capable to perform up to seven independent microbiological determinations in situ, on a single battery charge. For each measurement, the entire processing chain is fully automated: a representative amount of fluid is sampled into a bioreactor, mixed with a specific reagent and growth medium, and incubated using a pre-defined temperature profile. Bacterial presence and development is monitored using multispectral measurements, and real-time data is transmitted wirelessly to a remote server. Based on the correlation between the time of absorbance and fluorescence appearance against TC and, respectively, E. coli concentrations, the sensor is able to quantify initial concentrations of pathogens present in each sample and alert operators in case of high bacterial contamination. Information about the microbiological water quality at any site equipped with an AMAS system is made available rapidly, enabling effective management of crisis situations, as well as routine management of drinking water, recreational aquatic or aquaculture sites, or general-purpose environmental monitoring.