Revision 2: The Quest for Blue-Algae

Algae bloom in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala

After shipping the first series of the NMPP there has not been much follow-up. But the project is active again since we now have to supply three systems for inland water quality monitoring. Here the focus is on measuring algae, and specifically blue-green algae or Cyanobacteria.
Algae can be measured using  fluorometry. The algae are lit by a an LED transmitting light at a  specific wavelength and respond to that by transmitting light in a different wavelength which in turn can be detected by the sensor. These fluorenscence sensors have been used in laboratories for years but have now also become quite common in field measurements.
So the next revision of the NMPP will have to measure the following parameters:

• Blue Algae
• Chlorophyll
• Turbidity
• Dissolved Oxygen
• pH
• Temperature
• Conductivity