A composition and an assay solution for the determination of dissolved borate concentration comprising a catechol dye, a solubilizing agent, and a buffer are described. The composition and assay solution may further comprise a solubilizing agent. The catechol dye acts as a chemical borate sensor. The chemical borate sensor changes its optical properties upon binding to borate. The multivalent cation chelator binds multivalent cations present in a sample being analyzed. The buffer prevents changes in pH. The solubilizing agent aids in solubilizing the catechol dye, multivalent cation chelator, and/or the buffer.

The invention relates to a system for determining a level of nitrate in a water sample, including: (a) an optical flow cell which is at least partially transparent and which is configured to contain a sample of water; (b) a first illuminator for illuminating the sample by light in a first wavelength, and a first photodetector for collecting the first-wavelength illumination, following the light passage through the sample; (c) a second illuminator for illuminating the sample within the cell by light in a second, fluorescence-exciting wavelength, and a second photodetector for collecting illumination in a third, fluorescence-emission wavelength from the sample; and (d) an analysis unit for determining the combined effect of nitrate+DOC within the sample on the absorbance of light, determining a concentration of DOC within the sample based on fluorescence emission from the sample, and subtracting the effect of DOC from the combined effect of nitrate+DOC on the absorbance, thereby to determine a concentration of nitrate within the sample.

A functional water concentration sensor includes: a light source which emits ultraviolet light; a container capable of holding functional water having a pH between 6 and 9, inclusive, and containing hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite dissociated from the hypochlorous acid; a light-receiving element; and a signal processor. The signal processor calculates the concentration of the hypochlorite in the functional water on the basis of the output signal, calculates the percentages of the hypochlorous acid and the hypochlorite in the functional water on the basis of the pH of the functional water and the dissociation constant of the hypochlorous acid, and calculates the concentration of the hypochlorous acid in the functional water on the basis of the calculated hypochlorite concentration and the calculated percentages.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for methods for detecting the presence and/or concentration of anions in a solution, systems for detecting the presence and/or concentration of anions in a solution, anion sensor systems, and the like.

A composition, which can prepare hypochlorous acid water having a pH of 5 to 7.5, a concentration of hypochlorous acid of 50 to 500 ppm, a concentration of free chlorine molecules lower than an effective chlorine concentration, the concentration of free chlorine molecules of 20 ppm or less, and a nonionized hypochlorous acid as an active ingredient when diluted with an aqueous vehicle, the composition comprising: 1) one or more selected from trichloroisocyanuric acid, dichloroisocyanuric acid and salts thereof; and 2) a buffer salt (provided that, a chlorite of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal is included in neither the aqueous medium nor the composition).

An embodiment provides a method for measuring a characteristic of an aqueous sample, including: introducing the aqueous sample to a titration region and a reaction region of a measurement device, wherein the titration region comprises a pH electrode and a protonator electrode contacting a first portion of an aqueous sample, wherein the reaction region comprises a counter electrode contacting a second portion of the aqueous sample; placing an electrolyte reservoir in a state of electrical continuity with the titration region and the reaction region, wherein the electrolyte reservoir comprises a reference electrode, wherein the volume of the electrolyte reservoir comprises a large volume of an electrolyte; and determining a characteristic of the aqueous sample by measuring an electrochemical characteristic between the reference electrode and at least one of: the pH electrode and the counter electrode. Other aspects are described and claimed.

An embodiment provides a method for measuring an ion component of an aqueous sample using a photoreactive species, including: generating a metal organic framework by combining, in a reactive solution, at least one organic linker and at least one metal; impregnating the metal organic framework with the photoreactive species; introducing the impregnated metal organic framework into an aqueous sample; and measuring an analyte component concentration of the aqueous sample, wherein the measuring comprises measuring a change in the aqueous sample, wherein the change is responsive to the analyte component dissolving at least one of: the at least one organic linker and the at least one metal, and releasing the photoreactive species. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

A method for controlling microbial growth in a sugar processing system is disclosed, wherein the method comprises adding a peroxy acid into water of a flume system used for transporting a sugar-containing plant material from a delivery or storage location to a wash system. In one non-limiting example embodiment, the sugar-containing plant material comprises sugar beets, and the peroxy acid comprises peracetic acid.

Systems and methods which use an optical sensor and an electromagnetic sensor in cooperation for detecting concentrations of one or more materials in solutions are described. In operation according to embodiments of a cooperative optical and electromagnetic sensor material concentration detector, both an optical sensor and electromagnetic sensor are used in cooperation to detect a concentration of a material having a physical feature that is otherwise incompatible with one or the other sensors and/or a material for which measurement is affected by another material present in the sample. Embodiments are, for example, configured to provide a cooperative implementation of optical and electromagnetic sensors operable to detect concentrations of metal ions and acid in a solution, such as for use in real-time material concentration detection.

A method for operating a water distribution system of a building is disclosed. The method includes: connecting a first sensor assembly to the water distribution system at a first connection point such that influent water from a water treatment system flows at least partially through the first sensor assembly; connecting one or more second sensor assemblies at second connection points that are downstream of the first sensor assembly in the water distribution system; obtaining, via sensors of the first and second sensor assemblies, first sensor data and second sensor data, respectively; detecting changes in at least one of chlorine concentration, temperature, or pressure of water between the first connection point and the one or more second connection points based on the first and second sensor data; responsive to determining that the detected changes satisfy defined criteria, generating a message identifying the detected changes and a first system operation for performing in connection with the water quality monitoring system; and transmitting the generated message to a remote computing device associated with the water quality monitoring system.