Sequoia’s LISST-Portable|XR is widely used to analyze suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and particle size distribution (PSD) in various aquatic environments. It has been employed in laboratory and field studies, sedimentology, geomorphology, water quality studies, and hydropower and oil & gas drilling operations. Typically to provide insights into sediment transport dynamics, environmental impacts and/or for operational optimization.

In hydropower projects it has aided in understanding sediment transport, deposition processes, desilting basin efficiency[i] and used in silt turbine erosion studies[ii]. In oil & gas projects it is widely used to measure PSD of drilling fluids, ensuring operational efficiency.

In environmental studies it has been used to measure SSC and PSD in diverse settings, including rivers, seas, wetlands[iii], hydropower plants, and shallow lakes[iv], aiding in the calibration of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP)[v], hydrodynamic models and informing river restoration strategies[vi]. In riverine environments, such as the Mississippi[vii], Huallaga[viii], Alaknanda, Danube[ix], Secchia, Mura[x], Niah, Fraser, Mekong[xi] and Ganga[xii] Rivers, it has been used to assess sediment characteristics[xiii], flocculation processes[xiv] and hydrodynamic conditions. In ecological studies it has been used to calculate soil heterogeneity and mean particle size, aiding in understanding soil texture in various environmental contexts as well as insect nesting habitat suitability[xv] and nesting success[xvi].

The LISST-Portable|XR has been used in water treatment research for evaluation of the coagulation efficiency and subsequent sedimentation processes by measuring PSD, essential for removing contaminants. Stormwater researchers have used it to analyze sediments in parking lots to understand factors affecting the permeability of pervious concrete pavements[xvii], study road sediment fractionated particles[xviii], and to perform grain size analysis on liquid-suspended samples, aiding in the design of stormwater treatment facilities. Other applications include experiments involving sediment analogues like crushed walnut shell flour for physical modelling studies[xix], and studies of ultra-high-performance concrete[xx].

The LISST-Portable|XR’s portability, precision and rapid and automated analysis capabilities allow for immediate analysis in both field and laboratory settings, making it a valuable tool for the particle size practitioner.

[i] Azrulhisham, E. A. & Azri, M. A. Desilting Basin Efficiency Estimation for Run-of-River Small Hydropower Plants. Int. J. Recent Technol. Eng. (IJRTE) 8, 6389–6394 (2019). https://doi.org/10.35940/ijrte.d5124.118419

[ii] Arora, N., Kumar, A. & Singal, S. K. Technological advancement in measurements of suspended sediment and hydraulic turbine erosion. Measurement 190, 110700 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2022.110700

[iii] Pickering, C. & Ford, W. I. Effect of watershed disturbance and river-tributary confluences on watershed sedimentation dynamics in the Western Allegheny Plateau. J. Hydrol. 602, 126784 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126784

[iv] Biró-Szilágyi, M., Krámer, T. & Homoródi, K. Processes Towards Sedimentation around a Reed Island in a Shallow Lake. Period. Polytech. Civ. Eng. 68, 459–468 (2024). https://doi.org/10.3311/ppci.22380

[v] Aleixo, R., Guerrero, M., Nones, M. & Ruther, N. Applying ADCPs for Long‐Term Monitoring of SSC in Rivers. Water Resour. Res. 56, (2020). https://doi.org/10.1029/2019wr026087

[vi] Pomázi, F. & Baranya, S. Simulation‐Based Assessment of Fine Sediment Transport to Support River Restoration Measures. River Res. Appl. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.4378

[vii] Osborn, R., Dunne, K. B. J., Ashley, T., Nittrouer, J. A. & Strom, K. The Flocculation State of Mud in the Lowermost Freshwater Reaches of the Mississippi River: Spatial Distribution of Sizes, Seasonal Changes, and Their Impact on Vertical Concentration Profiles. J. Geophys. Res.: Earth Surf. 128, (2023). https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jf006975

[viii] Valverde, H., Abad, J. D., Guerrero, L., Estrada, Y. & Frias, C. Hydrogeomorphic Characterization of the Huallaga River for the Peruvian Amazon Waterway. J. Waterw., Port, Coast., Ocean Eng. 150, 05023004 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1061/jwped5.wweng-2021

[ix] Pomázi, F. & Baranya, S. Comparative Assessment of Fluvial Suspended Sediment Concentration Analysis Methods. Water 12, 873 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/w12030873

[x] Batki, B. B. & Tamás, E. A. COMPARISON OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENT MEASUREMENT METHODS ON THE MURA RIVER, LETENYE. in (2020).

[xi] Le, H. A. Field and model investigation of flow and sediment transport in the Lower Mekong River. (Université Catholique de Louvain, Institute of Mechanics, Materials and Civil Engineering, 2020).

[xii] Arora, N., Kumar, A. & Singal, S. K. Spatial Variation in Hydrosedimentary Characteristics of the Alaknanda River Basin in the Indian Himalayas: A Field Study. J. Irrig. Drain. Eng. 150, 06024001 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1061/jidedh.ireng-10237

[xiii] Pomázi, F. & Baranya, S. Acoustic based assessment of cross-sectional concentration inhomogeneity at a suspended sediment monitoring station in a large river. Acta Geophys. 70, 2361–2377 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-022-00805-8

[xiv] Dunne, K. B. J., Nittrouer, J. A., Abolfazli, E., Osborn, R. & Strom, K. B. Hydrodynamically‐Driven Deposition of Mud in River Systems. Geophys. Res. Lett. 51, (2024). https://doi.org/10.1029/2023gl107174

[xv] Sardiñas, H. S., Tom, K., Ponisio, L. C., Rominger, A. & Kremen, C. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) pollination in California’s Central Valley is limited by native bee nest site location. Ecol. Appl. 26, 438–447 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0033

[xvi] Sardiñas, H. S., Ponisio, L. C. & Kremen, C. Hedgerow presence does not enhance indicators of nest‐site habitat quality or nesting rates of ground‐nesting bees. Restor. Ecol. 24, 499–505 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12338

[xvii] Kayhanian, M., Anderson, D., Harvey, J. T., Jones, D. & Muhunthan, B. Permeability measurement and scan imaging to assess clogging of pervious concrete pavements in parking lots. J. Environ. Manag. 95, 114–123 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2011.09.021

[xviii] Kayhanian, M., McKenzie, E. R., Leatherbarrow, J. E. & Young, T. M. Characteristics of road sediment fractionated particles captured from paved surfaces, surface run-off and detention basins. Sci. Total Environ. 439, 172–186 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.08.077

[xix] Wingenroth, J., Yee, C., Nghiem, J. & Larsen, L. Effects of Stem Density and Reynolds Number on Fine Sediment Interception by Emergent Vegetation. Geosciences 11, 136 (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11030136

[xx] Mostafa, S. A. et al. Influence of Nanoparticles from Waste Materials on Mechanical Properties, Durability and Microstructure of UHPC. Materials 13, 4530 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13204530