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A research team at the CAS Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (AIOFM) has made major progress in its efforts to monitoring water pollution with laser technique.
On July 12, a laser system for on-line monitoring of water pollution developed by the team with its own patent right passed the acceptance check under the auspices of the CAS Bureau of High-tech Research and Development in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province.
Water pollution is further aggravating the already grave situation of water resources in China, according to experts. At present, 40% of the seven major water systems fail to reach the standards for drinking, and 50% of the underground water in urban areas have been polluted. It is critically important to monitor the large water bodies so as to protect the precious resources.
With the support of CAS, researchers from the Anhui institute have carried out studies of laser systems for the online monitoring of water pollution in the environment. Using spectroscopic analysis method, the technology could make rapid and non-contact measurement of a host of indicators ranging from chemical oxygen demand (COD) to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and turbidity. They are also successful in their work on the online remote monitoring of various organic components of different water bodies by using laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy.
At present, the team has joined forces with the business sector to formulate technical standards and put the COD/DOC system into small-scale production. They have also completed prototypes for the non-contact monitoring system of water bodies using laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy, which is to be used in the on-site emergency determination of water pollution.