Using Infrared Spectroscopy to Measure Hydrocarbon Pollution Levels in Water.
Measuring the pollution levels in water so as to control CHC levels is important to protecting environmental and human health.
Developing a Method to Analyze Hydrocarbons in Water When examining CHC levels in water, the challenge is to use an ideal liquid-liquid extraction technique, to remove the water itself which would hinder with the measurement, with an environmentally friendly solvent.
Every different CHC has its own infrared fingerprint which can be identified with the aid of infrared spectroscopy.
Once identified, the quantity of infrared absorption can be used to establish the concentration of each CHC in a sample.
However, the halogenated solvents that the FT-IR technique used were sources of ozone-depleting chemicals, and so they were thought to be unsafe.
However, selecting the right FT-IR model for hydrocarbon analysis continues to be a challenge.
Infrared Accessories for Effortless Liquid Analysis Specac’s Pearl™ Liquid Analyzer is a high specification liquid transmission accessory, which is perfect for measuring hydrocarbon pollutants in water.
The Pearl™ from Specac It is the ideal choice for any application that requires liquid analysis as it offers a quicker, more accurate and more repeatable analysis compared to traditional liquid cells.
References [1] W. H. Organization Unicef et al., “Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water: 2015 Update”, World Health Organization, 2015 [2] R. Lu, B. Mizaikoff, W-W Li, C. Qian, A. Katzir, Y. Raichlin, G-P Sheng and H-Q Yu, “Determination of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in Water Using Highly Sensitive MidInfrared Sensor Technology”, Scientific Reports 2013, 3, 2525 DOI: 10.1038/srep02525 [3] J. Mabin, E. Alghamdi, C. Hodges, S. J. Freakley and S. A. Lynch, "Monitoring the Photocatalytic Oxidation of Water-Based Organic Pollutants by FT-IR Spectroscopy in Real-Time," 2016 41st International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz waves (IRMMW-THz), Copenhagen, 2016, pp.

Nanobionic spinach plants can detect explosives.
Spinach is no longer just a superfood: By embedding leaves with carbon nanotubes, MIT engineers have transformed spinach plants into sensors that can detect explosives and wirelessly relay that information to a handheld device similar to a smartphone.
When one of these chemicals is present in the groundwater sampled naturally by the plant, carbon nanotubes embedded in the plant leaves emit a fluorescent signal that can be read with an infrared camera.
The paper’s lead author is Min Hao Wong, an MIT graduate student who has started a company called Plantea to further develop this technology.
Environmental monitoring Two years ago, in the first demonstration of plant nanobionics, Strano and former MIT postdoc Juan Pablo Giraldo used nanoparticles to enhance plants’ photosynthesis ability and to turn them into sensors for nitric oxide, a pollutant produced by combustion.
In the new study, the researchers embedded sensors for nitroaromatic compounds into the leaves of spinach plants.
The signal could also be detected with a smartphone by removing the infrared filter that most camera phones have, the researchers say.
"These sensors give real-time information from the plant.
Nitroaromatic detection and infrared communication from wild-type plants using plant nanobionics.
ScienceDaily, 1 November 2016.

Table of Content Introduction A very serious issue in turbine and other industrial oils is water contamination, and water testing forms a part of any lubricant condition monitoring program. Turbine oils normally are formulated to have oxidation resistance, high thermal stability, and exceptional water separation. Lubricants that are commercially available specifically for steam turbines or gas turbines, are fabricated with specific additive formulations, but there are also numerous oils that can function with different types of turbines. Gas turbines tend to build up sludge and varnish while steam turbines may experience foaming, oxidation, and sludge. However, water contamination in turbine systems is a concern. Severe water contamination can result in changes in the oil’s viscosity, additive depletion, accelerated oxidation, and reduced bearing life. Turbine manufacturers commonly advise a warning alarm limit of