Studying Pollution in Rivers by Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Abstract

AbstractHighly urbanized watersheds exert strong pressure on water resources, since when organic matters present in anthropogenic effluents are in excess, especially labile fractions, a strong impact on degradation of water quality, aquatic fauna and flora, and the overall ecosystem is often observed. Robust monitoring strategies are therefore required to better estimate the organic pollution in urban rivers. Fluorescence spectroscopy is being used for organic matter identification and characterization in several environments, with well‐known and widely documented procedures, data handling, analysis, and interpretation. In terms of water quality planning and management in urban rivers, the combination of conventional analytical methods (e.g. biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC)) with fluorescence spectroscopy and the development of in situ technologies are vital to improve our understanding of the watershed dynamics, track the organic pollution sources and pathways, and, consequently, help predict future trends under changing environment with increasing human pressure. In this article, we present a synthesis on the application of fluorescence spectroscopy in urban rivers, focusing on (i) the organic matter sources and transformation mechanisms, (ii) how the techniques have been used, the main advantages, disadvantages, interferences, and the potential for future works, and (iii) challenges in water quality planning and management.