1. Project main goals

The most common methods for analysing the chemical ingredients in water are now of a laboratory type. Among them spectrophotometry, chromatography, and electrochemical methods are the most developed. They are quite expensive. The main goal of SEWING project is to create a relatively cheap and generally accessible system for monitoring and early warning of water pollution. A selected variety of non-organic polluting ions detected and a broad range of sensitivity for ion concentrations, will make a system suitable for drinking and surface water resources and to some extend for waste water in high-risk industrial regions, giving the possibility of monitoring, early warning and finding the sources of pollution. Methods of design are created and prototype of microsystem based on new types of ISFETs, selectively sensitive to various polluting ions, are realised. The microsystem is flexible, reliable, and takes into account interferences, temperature, ageing, etc. The system creates a possibility of general European or regional policy in water management. It is implemented in a form of prototype and verified by end-users, and will be prepared for industrial implementation in the future.

2. Key issues

The SEWING project is of an interdisciplinary type, combining the following specialisations:

• Environmental engineering
• Chemical engineering
• Electronics
• Material technology
• Informatics
• Industry

It is an important and difficult task to combine smoothly the efforts of partners being of different specialisation and to create an integrated system for relatively cheap, general and easy to manage system of water pollution monitoring. The pollution detection is limited to non-organic ions, so co-operation with other projects, focused on organic pollution would be necessary.

3. Technical approach

The following deliverables were planned in Annex 1 of the contract and regularly implemented during realisation of the project. They all together create the whole system and give the possibility of reaching the objectives.

1. Reports, summaries
   - During the whole duration of the project co-ordinator took care about reporting and dissemination.
2. Plan of work
   - Duties were attached to particular partners.
3. Fixing technical data for the system
   - Studies concerning ranges of pollution to be monitored according to European standards were performed.
4. Project Presentation
   - Text for the Commission, describing the project SEWING was presented.
5. Dissemination & Use Plan
   - Preliminary vision of project usefulness was elaborated.
6. Preparation of polymer materials for optimal ionophore membranes
   - One of the most essential works: finding materials for realisation of ISFETs selective for chosen ions.
7. Realisation of CHEMFETs selective for different pollutants
   - Depositing membranes and obtaining first approach of CHEMFETs.
8. Measurements of sensors
   - Verification of these sensors through measurements in specially prepared measuring system.
9. Encapsulated and optimised sensors for use in microsystems
   - After measurements upgraded sensors were done.
10. Physical models of CHEMFETs
    - Mathematical models, to be used later in software in the system.
11. Behavioural models of CHEMFETs
    - The same, but concerning models identified through measurements.
12. Optimisation and parameter extraction software
    - First approach to use the model parameters in software.
13. Computer simulation of analogue interface
    - First approach to design interface between sensors and DSP circuits.
14. Software for digital & analogue data processing
    - First approach to Data Fusion and Data Acquisition software.
15. Simulation of the overall system
    - Use of advanced simulation programmes for the whole system.
16. Design and partitioning of the system
    - Theoretical approach to combining all elements into one system.
17. Functional prototypes of particular chips
    - Final hardware realisation of particular parts of the system.
18. Realisation of prototypes
    - Realisation of prototypes of particular parts of the system and of the whole system.
19. Measurements of prototypes
    - Verification of prototype through measurement.
20. Evaluation of the whole system through measurements
    - Stating usefulness of the whole system.
21. Dissemination of the results, exploitation plan
    - Work conducted continuously during the whole project to disseminate partial and final results.
22. Technology Implementation Plan
    - Preparation of this document.
23. Assessment and evaluation of partial results
    - Internal assessment of the project results.
24. Final report
    - Final document for the Commission.

4. Results obtained

The following results are obtained during the project:

1. Creating the theoretical basis for modelling of ISFET sensors,
   - The models of ISFETs met in literature were not adequate for SEWING purpose. New models and their libraries have been created.
2. Creating technology and production of two kinds of ISFET sensors: BSC (Back-Side-Contact) and FSC (Front-Side-Contact),
   - Sensors are the crucial elements of the system. They were subject of several deliverables and their final version was made available near the end of the project. Their behaviour is fully satisfactory. Two versions of sensor allow choosing one of them for a given application.
3. Measurement and extracting model parameters of sensors,
   - Based on the theoretical models of CHEMFETs and their measurements the model parameters could be extracted and be used in further software works.
4. Creating the software for acquisition of data obtained from sensors sensitive for different ions in presence of interferences (three versions),
   - Adequate processing of signals obtained from the sensors give the final information about the concentration of polluting ions in measured water. Model parameters are essential for this stage of work. Digital, analogue and neural versions of data processing was created, to use the best for given application
5. Creating the hardware for realisation of this software in the final instrument,
   - The algorithms created for data processing are then introduced in hardware. This can be a commercial chip or ASIC produced specially for that purpose. The choice depends on application.
6. Creating the hydraulic system for water measuring, sensor calibration and maintenance,
   - This very crucial part of the project allows making a programmable hydraulic system for automatic taking of measured samples, sensor calibrating and washing.
7. Creating the system for data transmitting and visualisation,
   - Several solutions are theoretically prepared, but in the prototype typical versions are used.
8. Assembling selected elements of the project in one final prototype,
   - The prototype uses selected versions of particular parts of the system prepared during running the project. It shows that the idea of SEWING was well invented and useful.
9. Verification of the prototype in real-time measurement,
   - The numerous measurements show, how the prototype behaves in different real-life conditions.
10. Creating the vision of future industrialisation of the system,
    - On the basis of these results visions of different versions of the system, depending on end-user demand, is created.

5. Co-ordinator contact details.

6. Project information