Even with modern water treatment methods, the EPA reports that in some parts of America there are harmful concentrations of certain contaminates in the water supply that can’t be seen, smelled or tasted.

With this in mind, a new technology called MoboSens, developed by University micro- and nanotechnology researchers aims at creating a water quality monitoring system by using smartphones as an interface.

The project leader, Logan Liu, professor in Engineering, said “citizen researchers” will create the system through crowd sourcing information gathered by a bulky “dongle” that can be attached to any smartphone through an audio jack.

“The first target we’re trying to detect with MoboSens is nitrate, and there’s a high concentration of it in our area particularly,” he said, referring to farmers use of it as fertilizer. “When you drink too much nitrate your skin will turn blue because the nitrate will compete with the oxygen in your blood and your blood cannot carry enough oxygen.”

Liu also cited another water contaminant, chromium, which was made famous by the film “Erin Brockovich” starring Julia Roberts. The film was a dramatization of a $300 million case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company in California that came from the company exposing a town to arsenic contaminated water supply and causing many to develop cancer.

“Back then, people had no way to figure out whether the water they are drinking is good or not,” Liu said. “We made this so people could have the ability to check the water quality and make sure the water they’re drinking is clean of contaminants like nitrate, arsenic or chromium.”

Liu added that the water sensing function of MoboSens is only one part of the project; users will also have the ability to share their findings over social network websites by using an app that accompanies MoboSens.

“We also have cloud computing software that allows us to retrieve this crowd-sourced data and environmental sensory data to one place and publish that data onto a Google map,” he said. “If there were some water contamination events happening, you would get to see that on the map.”

He added that with the use of the cloud, map and social networking ability of the app will transform how research is usually done.

“Conceptually, this is really revolutionary compared to the conventional form of research,” Liu said. “Conventionally, what people rely on is the information gathered by scientists or specialists…(but) with this, every one of us becomes a scientist and we can contribute data to the map.”

Freyr Technology, Inc., a startup company in the University’s Research Park named after a Norse god of environment, was recently established by Liu to bring MoboSens to market. Liu said his goal is to eventually produce the sensor for $50 each.

“This sensor will eventually be a multifunctional sensor,” he said. “It will detect not only nitrate but also other contaminates like phosphate, pH values, conductivities, bacteria’s even.”

Tristan Wietsma, University graduate student, is involved with commercializing the product.

“Thanks to the Vodafone and Indiegogo funding, the lab is working on arsenic and more,” he said. “(MoboSens) works very well for ions – nutrients, heavy metals – but can also work for organic molecules.”

Liu said the project received $200,000 from the Vodafone Wireless Innovation Project competition that will go directly to perfecting the product. The team has already started working with some local and international nonprofits.

William Kruidenier, associate director of National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, said his organization will be the first field testers of MoboSens and will be using it to examine the water quality of the Mississippi River for environmental purposes.

“Our understanding is it will be considerably cheaper than what we’re using now,” he said. “It’ll be about 10 percent of the cost of something we’re currently paying for that uses similar measuring techniques, so there will be considerable savings.”

He added that because MoboSens will be purchased by several different research groups and, as Liu put it, citizen researchers, the cost is driven down by high production.

“It can be deployed in a number of different situations, it’s mobility as well as its accuracy and the ease of use and (cheap) cost make it exciting,” he said. “We think it’s going to have some pretty significant applicability beyond this single use we’re talking about, so we look forward to using it.”

Austin can be reached at [email protected].