Development of a UV Miniaturised Fourier Transform Spectrometer (MicroFTS) for the Detection of Dissolved Organic Carbon in Water

越来越多的科学和水工业需要对水环境中溶解有机碳(DOC)的水平和分子特征进行空间和时间上的密集测量，特别是在为英国提供很大比例饮用水的山地集水区。目前市场上用于这一目的的基于光谱仪的系统繁琐，需要很大的功率，需要训练有素的操作员频繁地重新校准，并且提供基于隐藏算法的数据，这些算法限制了对结果数据的解释。在这里，我们建议开发一种新的更小、更轻的自校准仪器，结合傅里叶变换光谱的新小型化，以及一种经过科学同行评审(并发表)的使用CEH独特的水化学/UV光谱数据库来评估DOC浓度和特征的新方法。在我们接触工业合作伙伴之前，开发将被带到任务准备级别5。我们预计潜在的全球水务、工业和环境科学部门会有相当大的需求。

There are increasing scientific and water industry needs to acquire spatially and temporally intensive measurements of levels and molecular character of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the aquatic environment, and particularly in upland catchments that provide a large proportion of UK drinking water. Spectrometer-based systems currently on the market for this purpose are cumbersome, have a large power requirement, require frequent recalibration by trained operators and provide data based on hidden algorithms that limit interpretation of the resulting data. Here we propose to develop a new smaller, lighter, and self calibrating instrument, combining novel miniaturisation of Fourier Transform Spectrometry, and a new scientifically peer-reviewed (and published) approach to assessing DOC concentrations and character using CEH's unique water chemistry/UV-spectral database. Development will be taken to Task Readiness level 5, before we approach an industrial partner. We anticipate considerable demand from a potentially global water industrial and environmental scientific sectors.