Contaminant Detection, Identification, and Quantification Using a Microchip Laser Fluorescence Sensor
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 133, Issue 3
Abstract
This paper describes a series of laboratory tests conducted to assess the performance of a novel fluorescence-based in situ sensor for environmental contaminants. The sensor, which can be deployed downhole in a monitoring well, or incorporated into the shaft of a cone penetrometer, is less than in diameter and uses a miniature microchip laser that produces pulses of ultraviolet radiation at a high repetition rate to excite fluorescence in a wide range of compounds. Results from laser induced fluorescence tests on single compound aqueous solutions of benzene, toluene, and o-xylene (BTX) demonstrate the sensor’s ability to perform contaminant analyses on compounds with fluorescence lifetimes on the order of . A linear relationship between contaminant concentration and fluorescence intensity was observed for concentrations over several orders of magnitude from the sensor’s detection limit ( for o-xylene) to solutions of pure BTX compounds at aqueous solubility. Owing to the microchip laser’s short pulse length, fluorescence lifetimes were obtained directly from measurements without the need for spectral deconvolution. Analysis of data from these tests highlights the importance of differentiating a sensor’s ability to detect, identify, and quantify compounds of interest—performance thresholds that ultimately define potential applications for the device.
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Acknowledgments
This research was sponsored by the University Research Consortium of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) under Project No. UNSPECIFIEDV18.
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© 2007 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 28, 2005
Accepted: Jul 31, 2006
Published online: Mar 1, 2007
Published in print: Mar 2007
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