Spectroscopy-Based Methods for Water Quality Assessment in Livestock Farming

Researchers at the Agricultural University of Athens have highlighted the growing utility of spectroscopy as a reliable tool in water quality assessment for livestock farming. Water quality monitoring and evaluation are essential across multiple sectors, including public health, environmental protection, agriculture, and industrial processes. Conventional water analysis techniques are often constrained by their labor-intensive nature and limited applicability for in situ, real-time monitoring.

Key Takeaways:

• Spectroscopy-based methods have gained prominence as alternatives for water quality assessment, particularly when combined with chemometric analyses and advanced technological systems.
• The research reviewed spectroscopy techniques operating within ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and infrared (IR) spectral regions, which are currently applied for the assessment of various physicochemical and biological parameters relevant to livestock water management.
• The findings highlighted the growing utility of spectroscopy as a reliable tool in water quality assessment, with high detection coefficients for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nitrate detection.
• The need for continued research into scalable, sensor-integrated solutions tailored for use in livestock farming environments was underlined.
• The study was supported by the European Union-NextGenerationEU and the European Union (EU).
• The Agricultural University of Athens stressed the importance of water quality monitoring and evaluation for public health, environmental protection, and agricultural sustainability.

Statistics:

• R2 = 0.86 for COD detection using spectroscopy-based methods
• R2 = 0.95 for nitrate detection using spectroscopy-based methods
• The research was conducted by a team of investigators at the Agricultural University of Athens, including Athanasios I. Gelasakis, Aikaterini-Artemis Agiomavriti, Thomas Bartzanas, and Nikos Chorianopoulos.

Sources:

• NewsRx LLC. Investigators at Agricultural University of Athens Discuss Findings in Livestock (Spectroscopy-based Methods for Water Quality Assessment: a Comprehensive Review and Potential Applications In Livestock Farming). Agriculture Week. September 25, 2025; p 78.
• Gelasakis, A. I., Agiomavriti, A.-A., Bartzanas, T., & Chorianopoulos, N. (2025). Spectroscopy-based methods for water quality assessment: a comprehensive review and potential applications in livestock farming. Water, 17(16).
• European Union-NextGenerationEU (supporting organization)
• European Union (supporting organization)