In-Situ Measurements of Cu in an Estuarine Environment Using a Portable Spectrophotometric Analysis System
Application of a portable in-situ spectrophotometric analysis system for the measurement of Cu in estuarine environments is described in this work. Our spectrophotometric elemental analysis system (SEAS) used for in-situ observations of Cu concentrations is capable of fully autonomous or user-contro...
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Published in | Environmental science & technology Vol. 38; no. 2; pp. 587 - 593 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Washington, DC
American Chemical Society
15.01.2004
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Application of a portable in-situ spectrophotometric analysis system for the measurement of Cu in estuarine environments is described in this work. Our spectrophotometric elemental analysis system (SEAS) used for in-situ observations of Cu concentrations is capable of fully autonomous or user-controlled operations. The optical cells used in SEAS systems are flexible liquid core waveguides (LCWs) with optical path lengths as long as 5 m. The 1-m waveguide used in the present study provided a 3.0 nM detection limit and a 5.0% relative standard deviation for a 25 nM copper sample. Analysis times range between 1 and 5 min, allowing for acquisition of data on scales appropriate to the highly dynamic biogeochemical nature of copper in the coastal environment. Field deployments of SEAS-Cu in Tampa Bay, FL, showed low Cu concentrations near the mouth of the estuary (3−4 nM), with elevated concentrations (∼25 nM) in anthropogenically impacted regions of the bay (e.g., marinas and areas adjacent wastewater treatment plants). Transect data between Tampa Bay and a deep water harborage exhibited copper concentrations ranging between 5 and 50 nM. |
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Bibliography: | ark:/67375/TPS-SZ7V6ZH4-M istex:943F432C0F98381402C11A33F5BEB39B5FF2F824 ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0013-936X 1520-5851 |
DOI: | 10.1021/es034538r |