Water is a basic necessity for existence. Nonetheless, communal development and degradation of water quality, environmental contamination have become major controversies problem. Water quality monitoring system is an essential tool for timely evaluation and prompt assess in the existing water quality status as well as its development trends.

Let's explore some commonly used water quality sensor.

Type 1. Dissolved Oxygen Sensor

Dissolved oxygen (DO)—important for life of aquatic organisms such as fish and invertebrates, in water. Like freshwater ecosystems, DO (milligrams per litre) tends to range between about 6 and 8 mg/L for optimal levels. These levels can be influenced by temp, pressure AND pollution which typically results it hypoxia harming aquatic organisms. In water quality, dissolved oxygen measurement is  critical for the management portion therefore this parameter becomes a key component of environmental survey, aquaculture, and wastewater treatment.  

Yosemitech Y504-A Online Dissolved Oxygen Sensor is a device used for measuring the level of dissolved oxygen in water. It adopts a new generation of fluorescence lifetime technology. The fluorescence dissolved oxygen sensor operates on the principle of active fluorescence quenching by specific substances in physics. It doesn’t consume oxygen and is not limited by flow rate.It is widely used in environmental monitoring, groundwater monitoring, marine research, wastewater treatment and other fields.

                                         Y504-A Optical Dissolved Oxygen Sensor                                      Y600-A&Y507-A Portable DO Meter                                                       

Type 2. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) Sensor

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) is a key water quality monitoring parameter which reflects the quantity of oxygen required by chemical oxidization for organic and inorganic substances in water. Important for COD (mg/L), a water pollutant index and an assessment of wastewater treatment processes Excessive COD indicate higher ratios existed in organic pollutants that are detrimental to aquatic biota and have potential of deteriorating water quality.There are various methods for measuring COD, which are mainly divided into chemical and physical methods.

Yosemitech Y552-B/C UV COD Sensor is based on the principle of ultraviolet absorption method, eliminating the need for reagents and making it both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. It is also equipped with an automatic cleaning device. It has a wide range of applications and can be used for monitoring water quality in various scenarios, including surface water, sewage, sea water, and tap water.

Type 3. Ammonium Sensor

Ammonia nitrogen is a prevalent pollutant in industrial, agricultural, and domestic wastewater. Its presence can lead to the depletion of dissolved oxygen in the water, which in turn causes eutrophication of the water body.

Yosemitech Y560-A self-cleaning Ammonium Sensor doesn’t require reagents, is green and pollution-free, also can realize online monitoring. Integrated ammonium ion electrode, pH electrode and reference electrode (potassium ion optional), automatically compensates for pH and temperature in water. It can be directly put into installation. Compared with traditional ammonia nitrogen analyzers, it is more economical, environmentally friendly, convenient and fast. The sensor has a self-cleaning brush that prevents microbial adhesion, making maintenance cycles longer and more reliable.

Type 4. Turbidity Sensor

Water turbidity is a crucial parameter for assessing water quality conditions. Turbidity in water is caused by suspended particles, which diffusely reflect incident light. The scattered light in the 90-degree direction is typically used as the test signal.

Yosemitech Y510-B Online Turbidity Sensor utilizes the principle of measuring 90° scattered light. It is small, simple to install and maintain, resistant to ambient light interference, and offers improved repeatability and stability. Widely used in water quality monitoring, wastewater treatment, drinking water monitoring, aquaculture, industrial processing control, etc..

        Y510-B Turbidity Sensor

Type 5. Conductivity Sensor

Conductivity is a measurement for the ability of a material to conduct electric current, which is primarily dependent on ion presence immersed in solution. Conductivity, measured in microsiemens per centimeter (µS/cm) higher usually higher salinity by pollution inhibiting to aquatic life. Conductivity has a widespread use in environmental monitoring, agronomical and industrial processes that provide ideal growing conditions of plants and aquatic environments. Use of conductivity leads to better sustainable water management and more natural resource preservation.

Conductivity sensor is an instrument used to measure the ability of a solution to conduct electricity. It measures the conductivity of a solution by assessing the ion concentration within the solution. Yosemitech Y521-A Online Conductivity Sensor features advanced four-electrode technology, an RS485 digital interface, and support for the MODBUS protocol. Compared to traditional two-electrode sensors, this sensor offers higher accuracy, a wider measurement range, and better stability. It’s widely used in surface water, municipal sewage, industrial wastewater, sewage treatment, industrial processes and aquaculture, etc..

Type 6. pH Sensor

The pH value is one of the important indicators of water quality. The pH value is a crucial factor in assessing water quality as it reflects the acidity and alkalinity of the water. Yosemitech Y532-A digital pH sensor uses long-life industrial online electrodes, and built-in temperature sensor for automatic temperature compensation. It’s suitable for long term online monitoring. Widely used for water quality treatment, hydrological monitoring, wastewater treatment, pool, Industrial, biological fields y etc..

Type 7. Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) Sensor

Oxidation reduction potential (ORP), is a measurement that reflects the ability of a molecule to oxidize or reduce another molecule and also an important indicator to monitor the water quality. Yosemitech online ORP sensor is mainly used as the oxygen reduction potential of the solution. It is also a sensor with many applications and can be widely used in water quality treatment, hydrological monitoring, wastewater treatment, pool, Industrial, biological fields y etc..

Type 8. Chlorophyll Sensor

The concentration of chlorophyll in water serves as a crucial indicator of water eutrophication. Therefore, real-time online monitoring of chlorophyll concentration is very important. Yosemitech Y514-A Self-cleaning Chlorophyll Sensor adopts the leading optical technology with an automatic cleaning brush at the bottom for self-cleaning. The sensor utilizes a sapphire material light guide structure, providing stable performance. The chlorophyll sensors can easily measure the conditions of algae and phytoplankton in rivers, lakes, ponds, oceans, and farming environments.

Type 9. Blue-green Algae Sensor

Blue-green algae are actually types of bacteria known as Cyanobacteria. They normally look green and sometimes may turn bluish when scums are dying. Taste and odour problems commonly occur with large concentrations of blue-green algae and some species are capable of producing toxins. Therefore, real-time monitoring of blue-green algae is crucial.

Yosemitech Y513-A Blue-green Algae Sensor adopts fluorescence principle. This sensor is faster and more efficient compared to traditional manual counting methods. In addition, this sensor with auto cleaning brush can eliminate bubbles and reduce the impact of contamination on measurement. It can maintain stable performance for long-term online use and also serve as an early warning system for algae reproduction.

Type 10. Oil-in-water Sensor

"Oil-in-water" refers to the presence of oil in water, primarily originating from the release of industrial wastewater, domestic sewage, and animal decomposition.

Yosemitech Y516-C oil-in-water sensor is a device designed to monitor the concentration of oil in water in real time. The sensor adopts the principle of UV fluorescence method, which is more efficient, fast and repeatable than commonly used methods. The sensor has better repeatability and stability and can detect both dissolved and emulsified oils.

Type 11. Transparency Sensor

Transparency is one of the important indicators for measuring water quality. Transparency refers to the degree of clarity of water. The higher the concentration of suspended solids and colloidal particles in the water, the lower its transparency.

Yosemitech has released the Y530-A self-cleaning Transparency Sensor designed to detect water quality conditions. This innovative sensor utilizes the transmitted light method for measurement, and its compact size makes it easy to install. Additionally, it is equipped with an automatic cleaning brush to eliminate bubbles and minimize the impact of contamination on measurement results.

Type 12. Residual Chlorine Sensor

Residual chlorine is the chlorine that remains in the water after it has been chlorinated and disinfected for a specific period of time. Residual chlorine is a commonly used disinfectant for water treatment, effectively destroying harmful microorganisms. The use of a residual chlorine sensor allows for the monitoring of chlorine concentration to ensure it remains within acceptable limits.

Yosemitech Y535-A Residual Chlorine Sensor uses a negative pulse with a specific voltage amplitude between the polarizing electrode and the reference electrode to selectively select free chlorine to participate in the reaction, causing it to undergo an electrochemical reaction at the cathode of the electrode. This results in a current signal proportional to the free chlorine concentration. The meter calculates the concentration of free chlorine by collecting and analyzing the current signal. These sensors are used in environmental monitoring, wastewater treatment.