Lab-on-a-Drone: Real-Time Electrochemical Sensing of Nitrate in Agricultural Watersheds.

ABSTRACT: Excess nitrate (NO₃^-) leaching from agricultural lands degrades water quality and contributes to algal blooms and hypoxic zones in surface waters, such as streams, lakes, and ocean bays. Monitoring of NO₃^- from agricultural watersheds is critical for optimizing fertilizer use and evaluating nutrient retention strategies. However, monitoring water quality in agricultural streams─particularly at subsurface tile drain outlets, which serve as major conduits for nitrate leaching from Midwestern U.S. farm fields─is often challenging due to rough terrain and shallow waterways. While unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offer mobility to reach these remote sites, commercial systems typically only collect water samples for later testing, limiting real-time env

SUBMITTER: Jared NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12836361 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature