The UviLux Wastewater Sensors from Chelsea Technologies are highly sensitive for real-time, in situ detection of Tryptophan-like fluorescence (TLF)/BOD or Optical Brighteners (OBA).
UviLux is a highly sensitive fluorometer that has excellent turbidity rejection and high ambient light rejection, making it suitable for use in natural waters (1000m depth) and wastewater treatment works.
Please connect with us to further discuss your wastewater monitoring application so that we can help you to achieve your environmental monitoring objectives!
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that fluoresces at an excitation wavelength of 280 nm and an emission wavelength of 350 nm. The term tryptophan-like fluorescence (TLF) is used because there are multiple compounds that can fluoresce at similar wavelengths. TLF occurs in high concentrations in human and animal waste and is a well-known indicator of wastewater in the environment. It is also known that E. coli cells directly emit TLF and also produce compounds, including tryptophan, that fluoresce in the TLF spectrum.
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid produced by all living things, and our multiple tryptophan case studies demonstrate that in situ Tryptophan-like fluorescence monitoring, using the Chelsea Technologies’ tryptophan sensors, can identify sewage pollution events in complex and heavily contaminated river systems, discern different water ‘types’ and pollution, provide information about the activity of the microbial population present, which is influenced by nutrient pollution (ie agricultural runoff), identify low levels of FDOM in rivers with little-no human impact and be used in a range of environments for investigating the fluorescence properties of natural waters, which applies to both environments which are heavily impacted by nutrients and pollution, and those which are low-nutrient in nature with little to no impacts from human-induced pollution.
The compact design and low cost of Chelsea Technologies’ tryptophan sensors make them ideal for mass deployments, and low power consumption coupled with a wide choice of data outputs and anti-biofouling options allows for long-term remote deployments. Integration to realtime data display systems for management of assets with alarms means instant readings, no need to take samples back to lab – immediate problem identification as they occur in realtime, saving stock and assets.
| Applications | |
|---|---|
| Sensors | Tryptophan, Wastewater |
| Parameters | Tryptophan | OBA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensitivity (QSU) | 0.01 | 0.08 | |
| Calibrated range (QSU) | 600 | 1200 | |
| Example compound:sensitivity range (ppb) | Tryptophan: 0.02 – 1200 BOD: 0.001 – 50 mg/L |
PTSA: ***0.19 – 2,400 |
*BTEX is Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, p-Xylene, m-Xylene, o-Xylene at equal ppb concentrations
**NDSA is naphthalene disulphonic acid
***PTSA is pyrene tetrasulphonic acid
| Size | Ø 70 mm x 149 mm |
|---|---|
| Weight in air | 800 g in air / 150 g in water |
| Pressure housing | Acetal C |
| Operating temperature | -2 °C to + 40 °C |
| Storage temperature | -40 °C to + 70 °C |
| Depth rating | 1000 m |
| Connector | Impulse MCBH6MP |
| Input voltage | 9 – 36 V |
|---|---|
| Power requirements | < 1 Watt @ 12 V |
The sensitivity and calibrated range of each UViLux Tryptophan sensor has been standardized by cross-correlating each calibration solution against a certified reference standard of quinine sulfate using a bench-top spectrofluorometer. Fluorescence is reported in Quinine Sulphate Units (QSU), where 1 QSU is equivalent to the fluorescence intensity recorded from 1 ppb quinine sulfate at an excitation wavelength of 347.5 nm and an emission wavelength of 450 nm. Factors are provided for selected compounds to convert the fluorescence output from QSU to ppb of the compound of interest
