Planul National de Cercetare, Dezvoltare, Inovare pentru perioada 2021-2023
Project Title
MANUFACTURING OF A PORTABLE SYSTEM FOR NITRITE MONITORING IN SOIL BASED ON AN INNOVATIVE SENSOR (NITRISENS)
Contract Number
216/2020
Project Duration
25 Months
Project Type
PNIII-ERA NET – MANUNET
Contracting Authority
Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation (UEFISCDI)
Coordinator
National Research Institute for Research & Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry (ICECHIM)
Project Manager
Mihaela (Badea) Doni - mihaela.doni@icechim.ro
Partners
SC ECONIRV SRL, established in Drumul Sarmas No. 80A, district 1, 013593-Bucharest, Romania
Responsible ECONIRV SRL: Cristina Mitrea – cmitrea7@gmail.com
SC EPI SISTEM SRL, established in Sacele, str. Livezii nr 17A, Brasov, Romania
Responsible EPI SISTEM: Petru Epure - petru.epure@epi.ro
METROHM DROPSENS S.L, established in Ed. CEEI, Parque Tecnológico de Asturias, 33428-Llanera, Asturias, SPAIN
Responsible METROHM DROPSENS SL: Pablo Fanjul Bolado - pablo.fanjul@metrohm.com
Romanian budget
250.000,00 Euro - Budget funds
25.700,00 Euro - Private co-funding
NITRISENS aims to develop a method for manufacturing of a portable system for nitrite monitoring in soil based on an innovative electrochemical sensor inserted in a 3D printed soil solution extractor (lysimeter).
The project addresses to the need of portable and costeffective systems for onfield monitoring of pollution induced by the nitrification process occurred in soil. The nitrification consists in biological oxidation of the relatively immobile ammonium (NH4+) to highly mobile nitrate, via nitrite. In agricultural systems which are based on chemical fertilizers, rapid and unregulated nitrification results in an inefficient N use by crops, increasing in this way the nitrogen (N) leakage and environmental pollution. The nitrite contamination of ground and surface waters represents the major concern associated with the nitrification process.
An integrated platform for in-field measuring of nitrite directly in soil will be developed through NITRISENS project responding in this way to the urgent need of a tool for soil nitrification monitoring and controlling in real time.
This innovative system for real-time nitrite sensing in soil will be used by the R&D companies involved in development of nitrification inhibitors, and by the end-users from agriculture systems for monitoring the activity of the applied inhibitors. Also, this system is a valuable tool especially in greenhouses where is necessary to reduce the amount of N based fertilizers and in this way of the nitrite uptake from soil and the vegetables contamination with nitrite.
The proposed method for manufacturing of sensors integrated in soil solution extractors can be used for a range of other important compounds in soil inducing, in this way, a breakthrough in environmental pollution control and also in adopting the optimum agricultural strategies with the final aim of improving the quality of life.
NITRISENS is a transnational project consisting of four partners from two countries, Romania and Spain. The project will be coordinated by ICECHIM, the biggest R&D institute in chemistry field from Romania. Partners are a large company METROHM DROPSENS, which is based on DROPSENS company, a very successful SME from Asturias, Spain and two ambitious SMEs from Romania EPI-SISTEM and ECONIRV.
In consequence, through the NITRISENS project the first integrated platform for infield measuring of nitrite directly in soil will be manufactured.
A webpage was created (in English, Spanish and Romanian) for NITRISENS containing specific information regarding the project (objectives, partnership, results).
Other general information regarding related data, news or debates regarding the soil nitrification/denitrification will be included.
The project results will be presented at prestigious international scientific meetings (congresses, conferences and workshops) in fields of soil chemistry, analytical chemistry, sensors such as: Annual Congress on Soil, Plant and Water Sciences, International Conference in Analytical Chemistry; IEEE Sensors; Sensors Nets, SENSORSDEVICES, etc.