Measurement and Detection of Eutrophication

A fluorometric technique is described for measuring chlorophyll concentrations. The technique has application to any situation which requires the measurement of chlorophyll such as monitoring phytoplankton populations, operating water treatment facilities, monitoring waste treatment process efficiencies, and determining changes in biomass in laboratory algal cultures. Chlorophyll can be related quantitatively to fluorescence and therefore can be measured readily with a fluorometer. Chlorophyll concentrations are indicative of estuarine changes in phytoplankton, photosynthesis and dissolved oxygen. The logarithm of phytoplankton concentrations is directly related to the increase in chlorophyll concentrations. Photosynthesis in grams per cubic meter is about 6% of the chlorophyll concentrations in grams per cubic meter. At chlorophyll concentrations from 0 to 100 mg per cu m mean dissolved oxygen concentrations are generally less than 100% saturation. The percentage saturation values increase rapidly at greater chlorophyll concentrations. Diurnal dissolved oxygen ranges increase as chlorophyll concentrations increase. This relationship reflects the influence of daily plant metabolism. The diurnal dissolved oxygen range increases in a linear manner above 10 mg of chlorophyll per cu m.