Advances in Water Resource Management: An In Situ Sensor Solution for Monitoring High Concentrations of Chromium in the Electroplating Industry

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The presented manuscript concerns an important issue: environmental monitoring related to the spread of heavy metals in water. This process is related to the conduct of industrial processes. The authors made a very thorough and detailed review of tools and methods for determining the content of heavy metals in water, and as part of the research, they also proposed original solutions that are the result of the grant they received for this particular research.

The analyzes carried out are described in very detail, and in some places the text is even a bit too extensive for the criteria of a scientific publication.

I will be able to recommend the article for publication in Water magazine after making the necessary additions.

Currently, it is an advertisement for the possibilities of equipment determining the content of heavy metals, most of the literature concerns the methodology of determination. Please supplement the content with the impact of heavy metals on the biotic and abiotic environment. This part is very modestly described, it should be definitely developed, at the expense of shortening the technological part.

After such a minor change, I will recommend the article for publication without re-checking.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer, 

Please see the attachment. 

Sincerly, 

The Authors 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

The paper " Advancing in Water Resource Management: In-Situ Sensor Solution for Monitoring High Concentrations of Chromium in the Electroplating Industry “ focus on a specific application of sensor technology for monitoring chromium concentrations in electroplating wastewater. The paper extensively details the design and simulation of the sensor system but seems to provide limited experimental data to validate the simulations.

My suggestions and comments are presented as follows:

- The introduction mentions that the electroplating industry faces significant challenges due to its reliance on heavy metals like chromium. Can the authors elaborate on the typical range of chromium concentrations found in wastewater from these industries and how these concentrations fluctuate during typical production cycles?

- The introduction discusses various regulations regarding chromium concentrations in industrial effluents. Could authors specify which regulations directly influence the design and necessity of this sensor? How do these regulations vary internationally?

- The paper compares the proposed sensor to existing monitoring techniques but does not detail what makes the proposed sensor superior or necessary. Could the authors provide a comparative analysis showing the advantages of the sensor over traditional methods like atomic absorption spectroscopy or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in practical scenarios?

- Can authors provide details on the boundary conditions and assumptions used in the FEM simulations for both the detection cell and filtration system? How were these parameters validated against physical experiments or industry standards?

- How sensitive are paper simulation results to changes in flow rates and pressure conditions? Did authors perform a sensitivity analysis to identify critical parameters that significantly influence the performance of the detection and filtration systems?

- What specific steps were taken to calibrate the analytical instruments used in this study, particularly the UV-Vis spectrophotometer? How frequently do these calibrations need to be repeated to ensure consistent accuracy?

- What were the criteria for selecting materials (e.g., PDMS,) for the different components fabricated via 3D printing? How do the selected materials impact the functionality and durability of the sensor system?

- Could the authors provide more details on the findings related to pressure and stress within the system components during operation? How do these stresses impact the long-term reliability and maintenance?

The English language used in the paper appears to be of good quality.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer, 

Please see the attachment. 

Sincerly, 

The Authors 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf