Kevin Hicks, “Phosphate Sensor”
Mentor: Marcia Silva, Global Water Center
Poster #59

Eutrophication is one of many environmental issues facing Wisconsin and eutrophication develops because of the excess of nutrients that get into bodies of water from agricultural runoff. To try and mediate this problem constant monitoring of the phosphate levels needs to be done, but to do this takes time and can be very expensive. So, the purpose of this project is to have a way of determining how much phosphate is in each sample without having to go to the lab and analyze them. The goal of this project is to produce a phosphorus sensor using an already preexisting method to detect certain nutrients in agricultural runoff. To accomplish, technology platform developed for detection of inorganic compounds will be modified to be used for the detection of phosphorus in water.