Progress
on
new
artificial
intelligence
(AI)
technology
could
make
monitoring
at
water
treatment
plants
cheaper
and
easier
and
help
safeguard
public
health.
Researchers
at
the
University
of
Waterloo
have
developed
AI
software
capable
of
identifying
and
quantifying
different
kinds
of
cyanobacteria,
or
blue-green
algae,
a
threat
to
shut
down
water
systems
when
it
suddenly
proliferates.
“We
need
to
protect
our
water
supplies,”
said
Monica
Emelko,
a
professor
of
civil
and
environmental
engineering
and
member
of
the
Water
Institute
at
Waterloo.
“This
tool
will
arm
us
with
a
sentinel
system,
a
more
rapid
indication
when
they
are
threatened.
Monica Emelko, Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor
The
operational
AI
system
uses
software
in
combination
with
a
microscope
to
inexpensively
and
automatically
analyze
water
samples
for
algae
cells
in
about
one
to
two
hours,
including
confirmation
of
results
by
a
human
analyst.
Current
testing
methods,
which
typically
involve
sending
samples
to
labs
for
manual
analysis
by
technicians,
take
one
to
two
days.
Some
automated
systems
already
exist
as
well,
but
they
require
extremely
expensive
equipment
and
supplies.
According
to
Emelko
and
collaborator
Alexander
Wong,
a
systems
design
engineering
professor
at
Waterloo,
the
AI
system
would
provide
an
early
warning
of
problems
since
testing
could
be
done
much
more
quickly
and
frequently.
Moving
forward,
the
goal
is
an
AI
system
to
continuously
monitor
water
flowing
through
a
microscope
for
a
wide
range
of
contaminants
and
microorganisms.
“This
brings
our
research
into
a
high-impact
area,”
said
Wong.
“Helping
to
ensure
safe
water
through
widespread
deployment
of
this
technology
would
be
one
of
the
great
ways
to
really
make
AI
count.”
The
researchers
estimate
it
may
take
two
to
three
years
to
refine
a
fully
commercial
sample
testing
system
for
use
in
labs
or
in-house
at
treatment
plants.
The
technology
to
provide
continuous
monitoring
could
be
three
to
four
years
away.
“It’s
critical
to
have
running
water,
even
if
we
have
to
boil
it,
for
basic
hygiene,”
said
Monica
Emelko,
a
professor
of
civil
and
environmental
engineering
at
Waterloo.
“If
you
don’t
have
running
water,
people
start
to
get
sick.”
Adjunct
engineering
professor
Chao
Jin,
doctoral
student
Jason
Deglint
and
research
associate
Maria
Mesquita
are
also
collaborators.
A
study
on
the
research,
Quantification
of
cyanobacterial
cells
via
a
novel
imaging-driven
technique
with
an
integrated
fluorescence
signature,
was
recently
published
in
the
journal
Scientific
Reports.