Solid Sorbent Water Sample Preservation and Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current water quality monitoring faces challenges in accurately quantifying contaminants like arsenic, heavy metals, and pesticides due to the lack of cost-effective analytical equipment at sub-district levels, making it difficult to transport and store full-sized liquid water samples for centralized laboratory analysis, which is essential for comprehensive water quality data acquisition.
Innovation Solution
A device and method utilizing a solid sorbent that adsorbs and releases target contaminants from water samples, allowing for their preservation in a compact form, facilitating easy transport and storage, and enabling analysis at a later time using a package that supports the sorbent for rapid adsorption and subsequent release of contaminants for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If full-sized liquid water samples are transported to centralized laboratories for analysis, then comprehensive water quality data can be obtained, but the cost and complexity of transportation and storage increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential analytes (contaminants of interest) from the bulk water sample using solid phase extraction cartridges. This allows transportation of minimal sample volume (micro-liter scale) containing concentrated analytes instead of transporting large volumes of water, thereby reducing transportation and storage complexity while maintaining analysis accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces solid phase extraction cartridges as an intermediary substance that mediates between the water sample and the analysis system. The cartridges concentrate and preserve analytes, serving as a bridge that enables accurate analysis without requiring complex transportation and storage of original water samples
2Productivity
If field test kits are used for water quality monitoring, then rapid results with minimal training are obtained, but the accuracy and throughput are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the water quality monitoring process into two distinct stages: (1) field deployment of simple extraction devices for rapid sample collection and analyte concentration, and (2) centralized laboratory analysis for high-precision measurement. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, achieving both rapid field operation and accurate laboratory analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by concentrating and preserving analytes in the field using solid phase extraction cartridges before transportation. This preliminary concentration step enables rapid field deployment with simple devices while ensuring sufficient analyte quantity and quality for accurate subsequent laboratory analysis, thereby overcoming the limitations of both field and laboratory approaches
3Measurement precision
If centralized laboratories are used for water quality analysis, then comprehensive contaminant detection is achieved, but the transportation of significant water volumes over long distances is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and concentrates analytes from large volumes of water into minimal volumes using solid phase extraction. This reduces the weight of material requiring transportation from kilograms/liters of water to milligrams/micro-liters of concentrated analyte on a cartridge, while maintaining the comprehensive contaminant detection capability of centralized laboratories
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the concentration parameter of analytes in the sample through solid phase extraction concentration. By transforming dilute water samples into concentrated analyte forms, the system enables accurate detection with minimal sample weight for transportation, resolving the contradiction between detection capability and transportation burden
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables efficient and cost-effective preservation and transport of water samples, allowing for accurate analysis of contaminants at centralized laboratories, thereby improving water quality monitoring capabilities and overcoming the limitations of field testing and resource constraints in local communities.
Implementation Method 1
a solid sorbent that adsorbs and releases target contaminants from water samples
Implementation Method 2
a solid sorbent that adsorbs and releases target contaminants from water samples
Data Source
AI summary
A device for collecting contaminants from water samples is provided. The device includes a solid sorbent that collects and stores the contaminants from water samples. The solid sorbent is configured to allow for the preservation of the stored contaminants. The concentrations of the contaminants in the water samples are determined via analysis of the solid sorbent or via elution of the stored contaminants from the sorbent and analysis of the eluate solution.