RAPID: Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Instrumentation Development for Hyperspectral Characterization of Natural and Anthropogenic Organic Compounds in Seawater

PI申请资金购买两台荧光分光光度计和一台分光光度计，以支持PI在现有OTIC资助的RAPID上的工作，用于开发现场EEM分析仪器。该项目的目标是收集石油、风化油深水地平线（DWH）为了确定探测石油化合物的最佳光学参数和改进现场光学传感器，需要先进的光谱技术来确定石油和石油副产品的浓度，并区分石油和海水中天然存在的有机物。这一点尤其重要，因为泄漏已经停止，环境浓度很低，但仍处于慢性毒性水平。使用的技术是：激发-发射矩阵（EEM）光谱，时间分辨荧光（荧光寿命）在多个激发波长，吸收，和量子效率。过去航行的样本已经在手上，等待分析。其他的将由研究合作伙伴从机遇号巡航中收集。所要求的仪器在灵敏度、分析速度、特异性（增加时间分辨能力）和总的样品分析能力方面都比现有设备有重大改进。其中一个荧光分光光度计将专门用于船上使用，使研究人员能够确认来自湿实验室原位Safire和XMF荧光计的结果。更广泛的影响虽然没有得到本提案的资助，但一名博士后和研究生将致力于本项目，并从使用该仪器中受益。在未来12个月内，PI的课程将包括仪器使用、海水中石油的荧光和荧光分光技术。PI将介绍由仪器制造商赞助的海水中石油检测网络研讨会。

The PI requests funds to purchase of two spectrofluorometers and a spectrophotometer needed in support of the PI's work on an existing OTIC funded RAPID for development of instrumentation for in situ EEM analysis. The goal of that project is collection of excitation emission matrix (EEM) fingerprints of oil, weathered oil, and dissolved oil from Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico for the purpose of determining optimal optical parameters for detection of oil compounds and improving in situ optical sensors.Advanced spectroscopic techniques are required to determine concentrations of oil and oil byproducts and to discriminate between oil and naturally occurring organic matter in seawater. This is especially important now that the leak has been stopped and ambient concentrations are low but still at levels of chronic toxicity. The techniques to be used are: excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy, time-resolved fluorescence (fluorescence lifetimes) at multiple excitation wavelengths, absorption, and quantum efficiency. Samples from past cruises are already on hand and awaiting analysis. Others will be collected from cruises of opportunity by research partners. The instruments requested represent a major improvement over existing equipment in terms of sensitivity, speed of analysis, specificity (addition of time-resolved capability), and overall sample analysis capacity. One of the spectrofluorometers will be dedicated to shipboard use to enable researchers to confirm results from Wet Labs in situ Safire and XMF fluorometers.Broader ImpactsAlthough not funded with this proposal a post doc and graduate student will work on this project and benefit from use of this instrumentation. Instruction on instrument use, fluorescence of oil in seawater, and spectrofluorometric techniques will be incorporated into the PI's courses in the next 12 months. The PI will present a webinar on oil detection in seawater sponsored by the instrument manufacturer.