Fingerprinting water: Using real-time spectra to predict the concentrations of pesticides

Theme: Environmental Management

Description: 

This project will explore options to value add to real time data currently being collected by TriOS OPUS probes deployed for the Great Barrier Reef Catchment Loads Monitoring Program. The probes provide nitrate and total suspended solid (TSS) equivalent data. But there is potential to derive greater value from the probes. The potential to use the real time TSS data calculate sediment loads, rather than the traditional approach of using grab samples, would be investigated.

There is also potential to use the spectra generated by TriOS OPUS probes to predict concentrations of pesticides (e.g., atrazine, diuron, with nitrate, phosphate and imidacloprid previously analysed by another honours project in 2023, the thesis is available and this research can be built on or new approaches can be used) in rivers that discharge to the Great Barrier Reef. Establishing such relationships could enable real-time water quality monitoring of waterways for a greater number of water quality parameters and would enable quicker and cheaper methods of monitoring waterways within the Great Barrier Reef catchments.

Additional Information: 

The Michael St John Warne (1962 – 2024) Memorial Scholarship is administered by the Reef Catchments Science Partnership in the School of the Environment. The purpose of the scholarship is to support UQ honours students. Up to three (3) scholarships will be awarded. Each scholarship is worth $5,000 (half paid in February 2026 and half paid on submission of thesis). A top up writing scholarship of $1,000 is available to publish one (1) journal paper from your thesis research after submission.
See https://environment.uq.edu.au/michael-st-john-warne-memorial-scholarship for more information or email rcsp.info@uq.edu.au

Contact: Assoc. Prof. Ryan Turner