The development of remotely deployed event-based micro-samplers to unravel the origins of pollution along with its impact on ecology, eco systems and biodiversity.

Our rivers are in danger, 'Almost all of the UK's waterways are polluted. In 2022, a House of Commons Committee report...concluded that no river in England was free from chemical contamination. Only 14% of UK rivers had a "good" ecological status.'

When Combined Sewerage Overflows (CSOs) and Sewerage Treatment Works (STWs) reach capacity, they discharge untreated sewage into our waterways. In the UK alone, 11 water companies manage 79,324 licensed pipes for sewerage release, while the Environment Agency's (EA) database lists a staggering 143,738 pipes, with 64,414 not underwater companies' jurisdiction.

These pipes include agricultural sewage but do not include other potential sources of pollution such as road, industrial and agricultural runoff. Therefore, because the sources of these contaminants are unknown it is integral sensors are deployed at different places in rivers and other water bodies, not only to identify the impact on biodiversity but to stop pollution at the source, to know who to hold accountable and who pays to clean it up.

Under a previous Fast Smart Grant Seneye created their Gen2 optical water sensor to monitor the obligatory parameters specified under section 82 of the Environment Act, recording parameters every 15 minutes, taking the first steps to understand river pollution events.

This grant allows Seneye to develop a world first; a compact, Internet of Things (IoT), smart water sampler for capturing river pollution events. A remotely triggered sampler used in conjunction with modern ex-situ techniques offers unprecedented resolution and insights into (but not limited to) eDNA, pharmaceuticals, microplastics and water chemistry. Seneye will be pivotal in the protection of our rivers by identifying the sources and impact on the biodiversity, ecology, and ecosystems.

It's essential that the samplers are at a low enough cost to allow for mass deployment for the resolution required and to build a long-term picture of trends.

Collaborating with the Rivers Trust and the Environment Agency we have identified points of concern and a river of interest to trial the new technique.

Twinned with Seneye sensor telemetry of events, this rich data collected by the water sampler provides the smoking gun image of where pollution is truly emanating from and its impact.