Objective
Introduction
The EC has a firm commitment to monitor and maintain the health of our oceans, manifested in programmes like GOOS, HDP, MAST etc. Man made sewage brought into the sea by rivers and treatment plants is subject to rapid changes in the marine environment. These changes make it difficult to assess the processes governing the pollutants and their impact on the affected regions. Current State of the Art
Conventional sampling in estuaries and coastal regions delivers accurate and comprehensive data for a series of measurement points.
However, the known strong variations in concentrations, and other inherent problems render sampling methods unsuitable for the collection of the required data. What is needed for this purpose are in-situ methods.
Objective and Innovative Aspects
This project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of using fiber optical probes in the marine environment for in-situ measuring purposes. The measurement principles are based on well known spectroscopic methods like fluorescence, absorption, scattering and refraction. However they use innovative fiber optical chemical sensors where optic fibers deliver radiation to and from the sample and also form the sensor itself. Developments in fiber optical chemical sensors are tremendous. In addition, key components and technologies like laser diodes, CCDs and fiber technology are thus far developed to allow for this ambitious Description of Instrument
The device will consist of four fiber optical sensors (optodes) linked to a core optical instrument for spectroscopic analysis. Laser diode sources and detector will be under-water with only the control unit anc data processing on board. For the demonstration stage the following currently relevant analytes will be monitored; Heavy metals: Cu, Pb and Zn, chlorinated hydrcarbons: tri- and tetrachloroethylene and aromatic hydrocarbons: PAH Main Steps of Work Programme
Laboratory Development of Optodes -->Construction of Core Optical Instrument -- Construction of Marinised Optodes --> Tests under Controlled Field Conditions - Field Tests of Buoy at Referenced Site --> Profiling Tests with Tow-body Results expected
- in-situ measuring device for pollutants in effluent streams, sewage outlets and estuaries
- rapid all optical system totally non-intrusive technology
- modular design with envisaged future developments of additional analyte monitoring and possible long-term unmanned operation
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringfibers
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsoptical sensors
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsfibre optics
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdata sciencedata processing
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physics
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
10623 BERLIN
Germany