DEVELOPMENT OF A BATTERY-OPERATED PORTABLE SYNCHRONOUS LUMINESCENCE SPECTROFLUOROMETER

A battery-operated portable synchronous luminescence spectrofluorometer was developed for on-site analysis of groundwater or hazardous waste sites. The instrument is capable of either emission, excitation, or synchronous fluorescence measurements. The instrument is suited for trace analysis of important pollutants such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons, creosotes, and polychlorinated biphenyls in complex mixtures. The ability to perform synchronous luminescence measurements on these samples can reduce the complexity of fluorescence spectra and help in rapid field site characterization. A description of the instrumental components is given and an evaluation of the instrument using anthracene and several oil samples is provided to illustrate the usefulness of the instrument.