RECON and Crude Oil Detection
RECON’s CDOM fluorometer is very sensitive to crude oil. It can detect anything that fluoresces blue when excited by UV light, which would include crude oil, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) as well as hydrocarbons. The RECON turbidity sensor would also be able to detect the presence of droplets of oil because oil scatters light similar to particles in the water.
The RECON units stationed upstream would likely not be able to distinguish crude oil from CDOM and turbidity because of background interference. However, if high CDOM value appears at sites that are typically low in CDOM -- such as the Gulf of Mexico and Redfish Pass sensors -- it can be an indicator of the presence of hydrocarbons from crude oil. Should oil sheens or tarballs be predicted in the forecast to appear near Sanibel, SCCF's Marine Lab can deploy a mobile RECON sensor package to obtain broad geographic coverage of the oil and collect validation samples.
Since there can still be freshwater input from the Caloosahatchee bringing some CDOM and turbidity into San Carlos Bay, a high reading on the RECON Gulf of Mexico or Redfish Pass sensors does not necessarily mean oil is present, however it would alert Marine Lab scientists to collect a water sample and test it with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry to confirm whether or not it is oil.
For further information, click here for Client Advisories from the manufacturer of the fluorometer used in the RECON sensor, WET Labs:
Crude Oil Detection with WET Labs Fluorometers
Laboratory Experiments with Crude Oil Detection Using WET Labs Fluorometers