Un-ionized ammonia detection system for water quality monitoring

Un-ionized ammonia (UIA) in freshwater is a primary source of toxins that kill freshwater fish. Concentrations as low as 0.03 mg/L can harm fish and concentrations of more than 2.00 mg/L can kill them. The availability of water quality monitoring systems that can directly measure UIA without any chemical treatment on samples is limited. This paper designs a new system by using a programmable system on chip and nondestructive types of measurement instruments. Four water environment parameters are measured, namely, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and ammonium. Algorithms are applied on the system to calculate the UIA using data from the measurement instruments. The designed system can measure UIA in freshwater at 95% confidence level. Data from the system are monitored and recorded using a data acquisition system.