MIKA

Detecting, monitoring, and removing micropollutants from water are among the key challenges in environmental and health protection. These substances can be difficult to detect using established methods due to their small molecular size, yet they can have a significant impact on the environment as well as on human and animal health. Examples include:

• Diclofenac — a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to reduce inflammation, pain, and fever

• PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that are highly persistent in the environment and can be harmful to health; they are found in products such as non-stick cookware and rainwear

• Carbamazepine — an anticonvulsant that is poorly soluble in water and can form persistent residues

• Benzotriazole — used as a corrosion inhibitor for metals; it is difficult to biodegrade and can be harmful to aquatic organisms

• and many other substances with similar properties and potential health impacts

As part of this collaborative research project, our tasks were:

1. to develop tailored user interfaces for a newly developed spectroscopic method for detecting micropollutants in water samples, and
2. to create an ergonomic way of presenting multidimensional and heterogeneous water-related data, allowing users to filter and analyze the information according to different criteria.

One of the two resulting UI concepts was implemented as an interactive prototype and evaluated in two user tests. The results confirmed that the concept successfully translated complex information and relationships into a user-friendly interface.

Project partners: Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz-IPHT), Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU Jena), Steinbeis Qualitätssicherung und Bildverarbeitung GmbH

Funded by: German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space