For many years, scientists have tested lake pollution by deploying environmental sensors, collecting water profiles, and taking depth-specific samples, all while in a boat, in the polluted water. Open water sampling like this is limited by site accessibility, and it can also put researchers at risk of airborne toxins from harmful algal blooms.
As a result of these concerns, drones have started to gain relevance due to their use in a variety of fields, particularly in lake, river, and coastal monitoring applications.
In these environments, drones can improve site accessibility, helping to reach previously inaccessible areas, as well as limiting the need for boats, crews, and hours spent sampling and moving between sites.1
A 2026 study published in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment tested the use of drone technology for lake water testing in hopes of proving that remote freshwater sampling with drone technology represents a valuable alternative to boat sampling.1
The study proposes two hypotheses. First, they believed that measurements from the two methods would align. The second was that drone sampling would offer a valuable alternative or complement to standard boat sampling techniques.1
On the left, the YSI EXO 1 sonde hanging from the drone (using the 5 m rope) and a close-up image of the sonde. On the right, the 500-ml LDPE water bottle hanging from the drone before being submerged in the lake (attached to a metal ballast for adequate immersion). (Credit: Bennett et al., 2026)
Methods
Data was collected from August to October of 2023 in lakes Corcaghan, Greagh, and Grove in Ireland.1
A YSI EXO1 sonde was attached to a drone, which collected dissolved oxygen, conductivity, turbidity, water temperature and depth measurements at 1, 2, and 3 meters. For comparison, a similar sampling method was used by researchers on a boat.
In addition to the spot samples, both the drone and boat samplers collected grab samples for lab analysis of alkalinity, pH, aluminum, phosphorus, chlorophyll a, iron, and manganese
Results
Between both sampling methods, environmental measurements showed similar results with no significant differences.
In terms of efficiency, boat sampling was 60% more time-consuming than the drone measurements. However, the drone’s initial fixed cost was 88% more, though the study notes that labor costs result in the drone being more cost-effective in the long-term.1
Ultimately, drone-based water sampling proves to be an alternative that can complement or replace traditional techniques, particularly for larger-scale projects with longer study periods.1
Source
- Bennett, J.F., Rippey, B. & Douglas, R. Efficiency of drone technology for lake water sampling: is it better than traditional boat methodology?. Environ Monit Assess 198, 637 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-026-15473-0
[Disclaimer: The content in this RSS feed is automatically fetched from external sources. All trademarks, images, and opinions belong to their respective owners. We are not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of third-party content.]
Source link
