Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Plant and Environmental Science
Committee Chair/Advisor
Sarah A White
Committee Member
Eric S. McLamore
Committee Member
Debabrata Sahoo
Abstract
Creeks serve as conduits for water, nutrients, and contaminants to larger water bodies such as rivers and lakes, and their health is a key indicator of overall watershed water quality condition. Unlike rivers, creeks are under-monitored due to their small size, hydrological variability, and limited accessibility. Many technologies exist for monitoring phosphorus in surface waters. Technologies may be classified into two general categories: i) proxy real-time sensors, which record generic water quality parameters, and ii) chemical reagent-based assays, which quantify soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) in batch samples. There is a lack of studies that compare the features and benefits of these techniques. The research question posed was: Among the classes of phosphorus monitoring techniques in this study, are there differences in accuracy and environmental impact? The goal of this project was to compare portable water-quality phosphorus monitoring technologies with established commercial kits to evaluate data-collection rates, limits of detection, and relative environmental impacts and sustainability.
Objective 1 employed portable, low-cost commercial probes to evaluate generic water quality parameters, including electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, temperature, and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP). Samples were collected during Summer 2024 at Creekside (Eighteen Mile Creek tributary) and Jaycee Park creeks in Clemson, South Carolina, USA. The average data collection rate for field measurements was approximately 0.20–0.33 samples min⁻¹, corresponding to one stabilized measurement every 3–5 minutes (where one sample = all parameters measured at a sampling point). Mean conductivity values were 68.0 ± 8.60 µS/cm at Creekside Creek and 78.0 ± 9.20 µS/cm at Jaycee Park Creek. TDS averaged 47.7 ± 11.1 mg/L at Creekside Creek and 47.8 ± 11.3 mg/L at Jaycee Park Creek. Mean water temperature was 22.6 ± 1.9 °C (72.7 ± 3.40 °F) at Creekside Creek and 23.5 ± 2.70 °C (74.2 ± 4.80 °F) at Jaycee Park Creek. Average pH values were 6.83 ± 0.18 and 6.62 ± 0.19, respectively, and ORP values were 158 ± 46.3 mV and 188 ± 42.6 mV, respectively.
Objective 2 assessed the environmental sustainability of common phosphorus (P) monitoring techniques. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to compare commercial P testing technologies (e.g., Hach kits) and lab-developed water and soil sensors. Both a gate-to-gate LCA and a cradle-to-use LCA were analyzed for each. The study included the following impact categories: waste generation, global warming potential (GWP), freshwater ecotoxicity potential (FETP), and human toxicity potential (HTP). The Hach kit (EPA 365.3) had higher environmental impacts for water samples than sensor-based methods, whereas for soil samples, lab-based sensors sometimes exhibited greater freshwater ecotoxicity and human toxicity impacts, highlighting the need for continued optimization and assessment of monitoring methods. Results from this project provide guidance for sustainable water-quality monitoring in environmental research and management. The study highlights the importance of balancing monitoring accuracy, data collection rate (speed), and environmental costs.
Recommended Citation
Medi, Quintino, "Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Field Phosphate Monitoring Methods for Creeks" (2026). All Theses. 4715.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4715