The identification of naval fuels and natural fluorophors in sea water by Fluorescence Spectrometry.

Abstract

Fluorescence and Excitation spectra of Navy Standard Fuel Oil (NSFO), Navy Distillate Fuel (ND) , Diesel Fuel and Navy Aircraft fuels (JP-4 and JP-5) were obtained with the Turner 210 Absolute Spectrofluorometer. Excitation spectra (peaks at 320 ni, 240 nm, 250 nm, 270 nm, 250 nm respectively) and Fluorescence spectra (peaks at 350, 410 nm, 330 nm, 340 nm, 240, 325 nm, 240 nm respectively) are characteristic and may allow selective identification of these fuels. Quantitative determinations by fluorescence analysis of ND fuel oil extracted from sea water samples, with cyclohexane, showed saturation values of approximately 11 ppm. An all glass, in-situ vacuum filtering water sampler was designed and built for collection of filtered (.45y glass) noncontaminated sea water samples for the fluorescence analysis determination of the natural background fluorescence of the Monterey Bay region. Fluorescence spectra of sea water from Monterey Bay, obtained on board R/V ACANIA, and samples from the Arctic Ocean, showed broad banded emission in the region of 450 nm.