SUCCCESS CASES
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Overview
Bio fouling (or biological fouling) is the accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae, or animals on wetted surfaces. Ajman Municipality, Environment Department, Natural Resources Conservation Section, had installed six water quality monitoring stations. ELARD served as the integrator for monitoring creeks and water surfaces in the city of Ajman, United Arab Emirates, and consistently checked for water pollution and challenging environmental variables.
ELARD is a supplier of Eureka quality probes and had supplied, installed, and maintained many similar projects around the Middle East Area.
All Rights Reserved. Photo. 2022
ELARD, UAE
Challenge
ELARD faced a myriad of problems to maintain and operate the water quality monitoring stations due to the extensive growth of biological organisms on water probes and the harsh environment.
Solution
ELARD adopted a series of measures to solve problems related with bio fouling and reduce the growth of biological organisms on instruments. ELARD used Eureka Manta 3.5 Probes with Sutron GPRS Link Datalogger. Measured parameters included: PH, Dissolved Oxygen, Temperature, Conductivity, Salinity, Total Dissolved Solids, Refined Oil, Turbidity, and Chlorophyll.
In addition to making a proper site visit (essential for any long-term monitoring system,) ELARD used:
• Copper mesh: copper-gauze anti-fouling kits; 5" x 30". ELARD used Eureka supplied copper mesh around the sensor guard to avoid strong growth on the sensors which could eat up the epoxy of the sensor body.
• Duct Tape & Packing Tape: purchased from local shops. This protected the probe body and helped clean the equipment quicker. (It is recommended using proper safety tools while performing the task.)
Results
The probes, equipped with anti-fouling components, performed well over a 30-day deployment, without any signs of bio fouling accumulation on sensors and drift in values. This helped reduce site visits, increased the life of sensors, and the equipment was cleaned more efficiently.
