A new method for quantitation of cyanuric acid in water based on image analysis of drying patterns using computer vision

Abstract

We present a simple, reagent-free method to quantify cyanuric acid (CYA) in tap water by analyzing the drying patterns of CYA solution droplets. The analytical signature is a set of white dendritic columns that grow radially from the droplet perimeter toward the center, a pattern not observed for other common dissolved organic compounds in tap water. Patterns were recorded with a basic optical camera under dark-field illumination, and their morphology varied systematically with CYA concentration. The deposits consist mainly of CYA together with ions naturally present in tap water. Using a deep learning model with data augmentation and statistical analysis, we proposed an algorithm for accurate quantitation over 0–120 ppm. The method performs best under neutral to slightly acidic conditions and is compatible with free-chlorine at the levels used for water sanitation. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of quantitation of an analyte in a complex mixture based on image analysis of droplet drying pattern. The approach is low cost and requires only imaging and data analysis, although it does require waiting for droplet drying (ca. 2 h under ambient conditions). The practical constraints include repeatable sampling volume (ca. 50 µL) and keeping illumination conditions as in the calibration set.