A fluorometric method for monitoring of dissolved organic matter in water

A fluorometric method for the determination of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in natural water, is presented. In this method, water samples are exposed to ultraviolet radiation from a Xe-lamp and the emission spectra are analyzed. DOM fluorescence, normalized by the water Raman signal, is found to vary directly with the concentration of fluorescing organic matter. Water samples from different locations are collected and analyzed. The fluorescence in natural water, is found to be indicative of water quality. The present method is compared to the well known method of remote sensing by laser induced fluorescence (LIF). An agreement is obtained between the results of the two methods. Results illustrate that this fluorometric method has a great potential as an effective, rapid, and practical method of monitoring water quality in the environment. 8 figs