2.2.4 - A Miniaturized Optical Online Sensor for the Detection of Oil Pollution on Water Surfaces
- Event
- EUROSENSORS 2026
2026-09-06 - 2026-09-09
Zurich - Band
- Lectures
- Chapter
- Optical Sensors
- Author(s)
- M. Brandl, T. Posnicek, A. Knecht - University for Continuing Education Krems,Krems (Austria)
- Pages
- 87 - 88
- DOI
- 10.5162/eurosensors2026/2.2.4
- ISBN
- 978-3-910600-12-6
- Price
- free
Abstract
Oil contamination of surface waters poses serious environmental and economic risks, even at very low concentrations. To enable early detection, a miniaturized optical sensor based on UV induced fluorescence was developed for real time, contact free monitoring of oil films on water surfaces. The system employs a UV LED excitation source and lock in signal processing to achieve high sensitivity under varying environmental conditions. Laboratory tests demonstrate detection limits below 0.1 µl/cm² for mineral oils such as diesel, gasoline, and engine oil. Owing to its compact design, low power consumption, and robust performance, the sensor is well suited for permanent deployment in early warning networks for water quality monitoring.