Fluorescence spectroscopy for oil spill monitoring
The effects of naturally occurring organic substances, such as the components of bacterial and algal proteins, must be screened out. Specific methods for identifying the pollutants arising, for example, from oil spills must be developed. Accurate quantitative investigation requires refinement of instrumentation and remote sensing methods are needed for large-scale surveillance. A collaborative programme involving laboratories in Russia, Germany, France and Italy is investigating the use of fluorescence spectroscopy. Spectroscopic analysis is able to characterise dissolved substances by their fluorescence signatures. Fundamental to the project is a study of the effects of fluorescence saturation: when using high power lasers for excitation, saturation must be taken into account for quantitative detection of pollutants. The team is also working on a new way of estimating the thickness of oil films from Raman scattering. The outcome of the project will be new instrumentation suitable for airborne or shipborne use, enabling more effective treatment of oil polluted waters.