News

IGiG scientific seminar - Prof. Darren Reynolds

07-10-2025

Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, is pleased to invite to a scientific seminar, where Prof. Darren Reynolds from University of the West of England in the United Kingdom will give a talk on Sensing for River Health – a 21st Century Need.

The seminar will take place on 16/10/2025 (Thursday) at 1 pm in room 018C, building C3 CDN, pl. Grunwaldzki 24A.

The seminar will be in a hybrid format. A link to the meeting: https://meet.google.com/ygq-yhiy-nbu
(optional) Join via phone: ‪(PL) +48 22 163 85 15‬, PIN: ‪786 596 297‬#
Additional telephone numbers: https://tel.meet/ygq-yhiy-nbu?pin=6970424752878

Abstract
Although not widely appreciated, rivers play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. In addition, they are vital ecosystems that support biodiversity, agriculture, drinking water and cultural heritage. River water quality refers to the measurable chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water—such as pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nutrient concentrations (e.g., nitrates and phosphates), turbidity, and presence of contaminants or pathogens. These parameters are typically assessed through laboratory analysis or in-situ sensors and are used to determine whether the water meets regulatory standards for specific uses like drinking, recreation, or agriculture. In contrast, river health is a broader, more holistic concept that encompasses not only water quality but also the ecological integrity and functioning of the entire river system. It includes the condition of aquatic habitats, biodiversity, flow regimes, connectivity, and resilience to stressors. A river may have good water quality but still be considered unhealthy if, for example, its ecological function is impaired. River health integrates multiple dimensions, including biological, hydrological, geomorphological, and chemical to assess the overall vitality and sustainability of the river ecosystem. Whilst some of these dimensions can be routinely monitored there is still a technological gap that persists for the continuous monitoring of biological qualities of rivers, in particular microbial activity and biogeochemical processes. Monitoring river health in the 21st century demands high-resolution, real-time sensing technologies capable of capturing dynamic biogeochemical processes across spatial and temporal scales. Fluorescence-based sensors offer a powerful, non-invasive approach for assessing water quality and ecological status, particularly in detecting organic matter, microbial activity, and pollutant signatures. This talk presents the development and deployment of a next-generation fluorescence-based sensing platform designed for continuous riverine monitoring.

Utilizing multi-wavelength excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) to characterize dissolved organic matter (DOM), including humic-like and protein-like fluorophores, which serve as proxies for microbial respiration and anthropogenic contamination. Integrated with in-situ optical components and advanced signal processing algorithms, sensing systems can now discriminate overlapping fluorescence signals and correct for turbidity, temperature and absorption effects. Current field deployments across diverse river catchments are attempting to demonstrate capability for the detection of episodic pollution events (sewage), track diurnal cycles in microbial activity, and correlate fluorescence indices with conventional water quality parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and nutrient loading. Coupled with telemetry and cloud-based analytics, the fluorescence sensor supports real-time data streaming and anomaly detection using machine learning models trained on historical and synthetic datasets. Such platforms can be easily designed for modular integration with other sensing modalities (e.g., turbidity, conductivity, eDNA samplers), to ultimately enable multi-parameter river health assessments. Challenges in calibration, biofouling mitigation, and fluorescence signal interpretation could be addressed through adaptive algorithms and self-cleaning mechanisms.

This presentation highlights the potential role of new fluorescence-based sensing devices in advancing river health diagnostics, offering a scalable, cost-effective solutions for environmental agencies, researchers, and water managers. The technology aligns with global efforts to digitize freshwater monitoring and supports proactive, data-driven stewardship of aquatic ecosystems under increasing anthropogenic and climatic stressors.
video


Prof. Darren Reynolds is a professor in Health and Environment and the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research & Knowledge Exchange at UWE, Bristol. He has a passion for teaching, learning and research and uses research informed teaching to inspire individuals about the power of scientific research to drive change. Darren has over 30 years of experience in developing applied technology platforms at the life science/environmental/physical science interface for addressing real-world problems. His current research activities occupy the interdisciplinary themes associated with Health, Agri-Food, Water and Environment. Darren spends most of his energy collaborating extensively with small-medium enterprises and high-technology partners in to drive Research, Innovation, Skills and Enterprise (RISE) out of universities and through into real-world application. Maximising impact, driving change. He is internationally known as one of the pioneers of the use of fluorescence techniques for the characterisation of waste and surface waters and has driven the development of new fluorescence-based water quality sensing technologies from concept through to commercialization. Darren believes in harnessing creativity and technology to power economic prosperity and working in partnership with industry and the public sector to develop the skills, talent and innovation needed for a healthier planet.
www