1、1Constructed Wetlands / Water Quality TeamEngineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS)End of Semester ReportFall 2005Water Sampler / Weir Box Team:Andrew Becker .abeckerpurdue.eduKathryn McMahon .kmcmahonpurdue.eduJulie Smock .jsmockpurdue.eduQinling Zheng .zhengqpurdue.eduEducational Display T
2、eam:Victor Gootee vgooteepurdue.eduMegan Utley .mutleypurdue.eduFaculty Advisor:Dr. Chad Jafvert jafvertecn.purdue.edu , 494-2196Teaching Assistant:Angela Nolan nolanapurdue.eduIndustry Advisors:D. Furman Smith , 428-8282Project Partners:Dr. Ron Turco rturcopurdue.edu, 494-8077Don Emmert Don.E, 474-
3、9992Project Leaders: Andy Becker and Victor GooteeWebmistress: Julie SmockFinancial Officer: Qinling ZhengESAC Representative: Katie McMahonKey Keeper: Megan Utley2Table of ContentspageExecutive Summary_ 3 Weir Box _ 4Water Sampler _ 4Educational Display _ 7Next Semester Suggestions _ 8Reflections _
4、 9Appendix A: Probe FunctionAppendix B: Instruction ManualAppendix C: Educational Display3Executive Summary: Partners/Customers:Our first project partner is the Tippecanoe Soil and Water Conservation District (TSWCD). They are committed to provide quality technical, educational and informational res
5、ources for the community through leadership, service, and citizen involvement to foster natural resources conservation and environmental stewardship. They educate youth, adults, industry, and local governments. They achieve these partnerships through programs, workshops, and newsletters pertaining t
6、o environmental issues in the community.Another project partner is the Purdue Research Farm. Their primary goal is to study the environmental effects of agricultural activities. Our project involves working with Purdues constructed wetlands located near Elliot Ditch, approximately 10 miles west of c
7、ampus. Weir Box Team: The weir box team was made up of the same members as the water sampler team. The weir box teams project for this semester was to order supplies to build a new aluminum weir box to replace one of the old wooden boxes located at Purdue Research Farms constructed wetlands. The old
8、 weir boxes have fallen into disrepair and are no longer functioning properly. Due to the time demand of the water sampler project, the weir box objective was set aside for a future semester. Water Sampler Team:The water sampler teams project for this semester was to test and document the operation
9、of a 6820 Series YSI Sonde and an ISCO 6700 Water Sampler provided by the TSWCD. The Sonde 6820 and the ISCO 6700 were donated to the TSWCD by the Tippecanoe County Health Department and had been unused and sitting in storage. TSWCD requested that the equipment be examined and tested to identify whe
10、ther or not it is working properly, and to put together a summary of basic operating procedures for both instruments. To complete these tasks, the team investigated how to physically connect the instruments, how to program the ISCO 6700, and how to calibrate each of the probes on the Sonde 6820. Aft
11、er completing these tasks the team wrote an instruction manual for both the Sonde 6820 and the ISCO 6700 for use by the TSWCD. Educational Display: The educational display team created an educational display for the TSWCD. Don Emmert of the TSWCD asked for a professional display board to use for ind
12、ustry and business programs. After investigation into pricing of a custom-built display board, Don and the team decided to design panels to fit the lightest weight board that the District currently owns. Three panels were created to fulfill the needs of the District. These three panels present infor
13、mation on the Districts: (1) rural conservation programs, (2) long range plan, and (3) education programs.4Weir box Team:The Weir Box / Water Sampler team was responsible for two main projects. The first was to order the aluminum and other materials for a future team to construct a new weir box to r
14、eplace the old wooden ones currently located at the Purdue Research Farms constructed wetlands. The old weir boxes located at the wetlands have fallen into disrepair and are no longer functioning properly. The second task was to evaluate a Sonde 6820 water probe and an ISCO 6700 water sampler, and t
15、hen to write an instruction manual for each. It was quickly determined that the evaluation of the equipment was much more complicated than expected. Therefore, the task of ordering materials for the construction of a new weir box for the wetlands will have to be held off for a future semester.Water
16、Sampler Team:The water sampler teams project for this semester was to test and document the operation of a 6820 Series YSI Sonde and an ISCO 6700 water sampler provided by the TSWCD. The Sonde 6820 and the ISCO 6700 were donated to the TSWCD by the Tippecanoe County Health Department and had been si
17、tting in storage. TSWCD requested that the equipment be examined and tested to identify whether or not it is working properly, and to write a summary of the instruments basic operating procedures. To complete these tasks, the team investigated: (1) how the equipment physically interconnects, (2) how
18、 to program the ISCO 6700, and (3) how to calibrate each of the probes on the 6820 Sonde. After completing these tasks, the team wrote an instruction manual for both the Sonde 6820 and the ISCO 6700 to be used by the TSWCD.Sonde 6820 and ISCO 6700 ConnectionsThe basic function and operation of the S
19、onde 6820 water probe and the ISCO 6700 water sampler were investigated. This goal was achieved by discovering how the hardware physically interconnects, how the ISCO water sampler is programmed, and how to operate PC-based software that can operate both the Sonde and ISCO sampler. Technical informa
20、tion on the measurements of each probe was also researched and is presented in Appendix A. With knowledge gained during completion of each of these tasks, laboratory tests were formed to determine the current condition of the equipment.The Sonde 6820 is not a self contained unit. This particular mod
21、el has no internal memory, battery, or readout system. Therefore, the Sonde 6820 relies on a connection to another device for data storage, power, and display. There are several connection options that fulfill all of these requirements. It may be connected to the ISCO 6700 sampler, that combined bec
22、ome suitable for long term water quality measurements. Alternatively, short term water quality measurements can be made by connecting the Sonde to either a handheld data logger or a computer. Currently, the options available to the TSWCD are 5connecting to the ISCO 6700 sampler or a laptop computer,
23、 since a suitable data logger has not been purchased. The operation methodology of each of these connections is presented in Appendix B under the heading “connections”. Software and Data TransferA critical process in the use of the Sonde/ ISCO water sampler system is the ability to retrieve data and
24、 display it in a meaningful way. There are two different options available to the TSWCD. The user can first connect the Sonde directly to a computer or to the ISCO sampler. If spot measurements are being made with a direct connection between the Sonde and a computer, data retrieval and display is a
25、one step process. EcoWatch software (Available from YSI at http:/ forms a direct connection with the Sonde 6820 and displays measurements in real-time. These measurements can be display either as graphical representations or numerical readouts. If long term measurements are desired using the ISCO sa
26、mpler and sonde system, data retrieval and collection become two separate processes that use different software. This is the second option available to the TSWCD. Data collection can be performed unattended in the field. Each measurement made by the sonde is stored in the built-in memory of the ISCO
27、 sampler. The ISCO sampler cannot display data in a useful way. Therefore, it must be extracted and moved to a computer. In order to do this, a Rapid Transfer Device (RTD) is used. The software program used for these data is Flowlink, which also displays the data in graphical and numerical forms. Th
28、e connections and use of all equipment and software mentioned in this section are more completely described in Appendix B.ISCO 6820 Sampler ProgrammingProgramming the ISCO 6700 water sampler seemed to be a difficult process when the team first began their work. The instruction manual that came with
29、the system was very confusing and hard to follow. The need to create an easy to follow instruction manual for the TSWCD became evident. The first step was to become familiar with the software program already entered in the ISCO samplers memory. The team ran this program to get an idea of how the sys
30、tem worked. After accomplishing this, the team ran a diagnostic test. This test was part of the programs maintenance program. It checks the memory, pump, and distributor arm, each of which was found to be working properly. Next, the team needed to erase the existing programs of the prior owner. Afte
31、r doing this, the programming became much easier. The team was able to determine that there are two types of programs the ISCO sampler can run. The first is a basic sampling program that is used when no sonde or probes are attached to it. The second program is called an extended program which is nee
32、ded when there is a sonde or other device attached to the sampler. The extended program obviously has more options than the regular program. BatteryThe performance of the samplers existing batteries was a concern from the beginning of our evaluation. The sampler came with two nickel cadmium batterie
33、s, with the ability to 6connect only one at a time, allowing the other to be recharged during operation with the other. The manual for the ISCO sampler calls for a battery charging time of 15-18 hours, and a fully charged battery should allow operation of the ISCO sampler for approximately six days.
34、 Several times throughout the semester the team charged the batteries for the recommended amount of time, and they each lost their charge within a week without use. During week nine, the team began to continuously charge the batteries, since that time they have been able to hold their charge after a
35、pproximately a week of no use. It was decided to determine approximately how long one battery charge would last in full operation. The ISCO/sonde system was programmed to run indefinitely, taking a 0.3 L sample of water every twelve hours. We then monitored the system daily and were able to determin
36、e that the batteries have the ability to last for 5+ days. The manual claimed that often older nickel cadmium batteries tend to self discharge quickly. This may be a reason for our problems with these batteries since the age of the batteries are unknown. This is a concern future teams may want to in
37、vestigate further. Probe ConditionsDetermining the conditions/responses of the probes was the major task in determining the condition of the Sonde 6820. The team members first calibrated as many probes as possible. Calibration is a process used to standardize each probe to a known value or values to
38、 ensure accurate measurement of unknown samples. During this process, a detailed step by step guide to each calibration procedure was created. Each of these procedures is located in Appendix B. It is easy to check to see if proper calibration of several of the probes is possible by directly connecti
39、ng a computer with the Ecowatch software program. The team successfully calibrated the temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH probes in this manner. After calibrating each probe, measurements were compared against those made on the same samples with another meters. Data for temperature and dissolved
40、oxygen can be found in Table 1. These two probes were found to be function properly. Table 1. Temperature and DO Probe Measurements Water Quality Parameter Sonde 6820 Measurement Alternate Meter MeasurementTemperature 68.9F 69.8FDissolved Oxygen 3.0 mg/L 2.5 mg/LThe pH probe experienced some “drift”
41、 (i.e., the measured value slowly changes over time), leading to increased inaccuracy in reading with time. Periodic calibration reduces this inaccuracy by readjusting the relative millivolt-pH response curve saved for converting the relative millivolt reading to pH output. Due to time constraints,
42、only the pH probe was tested for magnitude of drift over time. The test was conducted by calibrating the probe with two standard solutions and recording the measurements. The probe was then used to measure the same two solutions approximately a month later. The second measurements were conducted wit
43、hout recalibration. This data can be found in Table 2. 7Table 2. pH Probe MeasurementsBuffer solution pH First Measurements 11/2/05 Second Measurements 12/5/054.0 4.22 4.007.0 7.38 7.04The next probe the team worked with was the conductivity probe. The team used a 0.01 M KCl solution to test the con
44、ductivity probe, however the reading on the computer did not stabilize. When using a 0.001 KCl solution, the reading stabilized and was near the reported conductivity value for this solution. This probe was found to be much dirtier than the other probes. The team was not able to continue working wit
45、h this probe due to time restraints. Further evaluation of this probe is necessary. The last probe that was tested was the turbidity probe. The team ordered two chemicals that when mixed together in an aqueous solution make a standard solution from which the probe can be calibrated. These chemicals
46、are and hexamethylenetetramine and hydrazine sulfate. One of the chemicals did not arrive in time to prepare the calibration solution. The chemicals should arrive for the next team to use. Health and SafetyWhen using the Sonde 6820 the team did have to remember that safety is important. The Sonde 68
47、20 uses different chemicals that are necessary for calibration and maintenance. When using these chemicals the team as well as the TSWCD need to avoid inhalation, skin contact, eye contact or ingestion when using the solutions needed for the Sonde 6820, especially the hexamethylenetetramine and hydr
48、azine sulfate solution. If such actions occur such as inhalation, skin contact, eye contact, or ingestion, the original Sonde 6820 manual provides first aid directions and proper procedures for disposal of chemical solutions. Educational Display Team:The objective of the educational display teams project was to provide the Tippecanoe County Soil and Water Conservation District with an Educational Display and board that can be used
