Scuba BGA

Description

The Scuba BGA (for Blue-Green Algae) is designed to monitor water quality, specifically algae, temperature, and turbidity. Real-time insights in these parameters will help to take action in time and prevent larger algae problems. Custom alerts will notify you when levels have gotten too high.

Sensor technology

By continuously monitoring the water, the Scuba BGA eliminates the need for manual water sampling and spot checking. This device uses the fluorescence of the pigments in algae and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) with this it detects the abundance of organism. Chlorophyll-a, present in all algae and cyanobacteria, is the most commonly used indicator of algal growth. Phycocyanin, typically present in freshwater cyanobacteria, is used as an indicator of blue-green algae. The Scuba BGA uses an excitation wavelength of 420 nm for chlorophyll-a and 575 nm for phycocyanin. The measured peak emission wavelengths are 670 nm and 642 nm, respectively.

Power and data transfer

Thanks to the integrated solar panel, the Scuba BGA is self-powered and can continue to operate for up to a year as long as the water does not freeze. Fully charged, it can function for 2-3 weeks without sunlight. The data collected by the Scuba BGA is sent to a web portal via 4G cellular tehnology. This system automatically switches between three carrier waves to optimise reception. It’s truly an all-in-one system complete with sensors, power supply, data monitoring trackers, and a powerful dashboard. The dashboard also tracks the GPS coordinates of your devices so you’ll always know where it is. 

The buoy is suitable for both fresh and salt water and equipped with a built-in sensor wiper, to keep the sensor clean and functional.

Installation of the buoy is easy; simply place it in a waterway, connect it to an anchor (available separately) and it will automatically start collecting data.

The instrument measures the following parameters:

• Green algae via chlorophyll-a: 0-200 μg/L or 0-2,000 RFU
• Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) via phycocyanin: 0-1,500 μg/L or 0-750 RFU
• Sunlight, wind & rain
  • Air temperature: 0-50 °C | 32-122 °F
  • Water temperature: 0-50 °C | 32-122 °F 
  • Ambient light: 0-2,000 PAR
• Turbidity: 0-200 NTU
• GPS coordinates: All

The following options are available for the Scuba BGA

• Option A:
  Low purchase costs for the buoy, higher costs for the yearly data subscription
• Option B:
  High purchase cost for the buoy, lower costs for the yearly data subscription
• Rental
  The Scuba BGA is also available for rent

Applications

The Scuba BGA is very suitable for water quality monitoring for

• Regional water authorities
• Recreational lakes with stagnant water
• Small municipal ponds
• Research
• Drinking water production facilities