Real-time monitoring of river water quality using in-line continuous acquisition of fluorescence excitation and emission matrices

Reynolds, Darren M.

Abstract

Birmingham, UK. River water was diverted to a portable laboratory via a continuous flow pump and filter system. Fluorescence excitation-emission matrices data was recorded every 3 minutes using a flow cell (1cm pathlength) coupled to a fiber optic probe. This real-time fluorescence EEM data (Excitation, 225-400 nm at 5 nm steps, emission, 280-500 nm at 2 nm steps) was collected 'in-line'and directly compared with the spectrophotometric properties and physical and chemical parameters of river water samples collected off-line at known time intervals. Over the monitoring period, minor pollution pulses from cross connections were detected and identified hourly along with a random diesel pollution event. This work addresses the practicalities of measuring and detecting fluorescence EEM in the field and discusses the potential of this technological approach for further understanding important hydrological and biogeochemical processes. Problems associated with fouling and system failure are also reported.

• Presentation Conference Type: Poster
• Conference Name: American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting
• Start Date: Dec 1, 2009
• End Date: Dec 1, 2009
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2009
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: bio-optics, biogeosciences, instruments and techniques, pollution (urban, regional and global); Water quality
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/990244
• Publisher URL: http://www.agu.org
• Additional Information: Additional Information : Cited as: Carstea, E., Baker, A., Johnson, R. and Reynolds, D. M. Real-time monitoring of river water quality using in-line continuous acquisition of fluorescence excitation and emission matrices. Eos Trans. AGU, 2009, 90(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract. B43D-0407.