A combination of optical absorption and scattering is used to detect tracer species in a strongly scattering medium. An optical setup was developed, consisting of a dual-beam scattering detection scheme in which sample scattering beam overlaps with the characteristic absorption feature of quantum dot tracer species, while the reference scattering beam is outside any absorption features of the tracer. This scheme was successfully tested in engineered breakthrough tests typical of wastewater and subsurface fluid analysis, as well as in batch analysis of oil and gas reservoir fluids and biological samples. Tracers were detected even under highly scattering conditions, conditions in which conventional absorption or fluorescence methods failed.
DurkinA.J.JaikumarS.RamunujamN.Richards-KortumR.. “Relation Between Fluorescence Spectra of Dilute and Turbid Samples”. Appl. Opt.1994. 33(3): 414–423.
2.
ThemelisG.YooJ.S.SohmK.S.SchulzR.. “Real-time Intraoperative Fluorescence Imaging System Using Light-Absorption Correction”. J. Biomed. Optics.2009. 14(6): 060412.
3.
ZhadinN.N.AlfanoR.. “Correction of the Internal Absorption Effect in Fluorescence Emission and Excitation Spectra from Absorbing and Highly Scattering Media: Theory and Experiment”. J. Biomed. Opt.1998. 3(2): 171–186.
4.
GoldmanJ.H.RoundsS.A.NeebodaJ.A.. “Applications of Fluorescence Spectroscopy for Predicting Percent Wastewater in an Urban Stream”. Environ. Sci. Tech.2012. 46(8): 4374–4381.
5.
LiW.-T.ChenS.-Y.XuZ.-X.LiY.ShuangC.-D.LiA.-M.. “Characterization of Dissolved Organic Matter in Municipal Wastewater Using Fluorescence PARAFAC Analysis and Chromatography Multi-Excitation/Emission Scan: A Comparative Study”. Environ. Sci. Tech.2014. 48(5): 2603–2609.
6.
SchultzM.M.HigginsC.P.HusetC.A.LuthyR.G.BarofskyD.F.FieldJ.A.. “Mass Balance Study of Fluorochemicals During Wastewater Treatment”. Environ. Sci. Tech.2006. 40: 7350–7357.
7.
StedmonC.A.MarkagerS.BroR.. “Tracing Dissolved Organic Matter in Aquatic Environments Using a New Approach to Fluorescence Spectroscopy”. Mar. Chem.2003. 82(3–4): 239–254.
8.
ChenY.ChenZ.-P.YingJ.JinJ.-W.ZhangJ.YuR.-Q.. “Quantitative Fluorescence Spectroscopy in Turbid Media: A Practical Solution to the Problem of Scattering and Absorption”. Anal. Chem.2013. 85(4): 2015–2020.
WuJ.FeldM.S.RavaR.P.. “Analytical Model for Extracting Intrinsic Fluorescence in Turbid Media”. Appl. Opt.1993. 32(19): 3585–3595.
11.
BradleyR.S.ThornileyM.S.. “A Review of Attenuation Correction Techniques for Tissue Fluorescence”. J. R. Soc. Interface.2006. 3(6): 1–13.
12.
PérezS.AgaD.S.. “Recent Advances in the Sample Preparation, Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometric Analysis and Environmental Fate of Microcystins in Water”. Trends Anal. Chem.2005. 24(7): 658–670.
13.
DeedsN.E.PopeG.A.McKinneyD.C.. “Vadose Zone Characterization at a Contaminated Field Site Using Partitioning Interwell Tracer Technology”. Environ. Sci. Tech.1999. 33(16): 2745–2751.
14.
BoschD.D.HubbardR.K.LeonardR.A.HicksD.W.. “Tracer Studies of Subsurface Flow Patterns in a Sandy Loam Profile”. Trans. Am. Soc. Agr. Eng.1999. 42(2): 337–349.
15.
ShookG.M.ForsmannJ.H.. “Tracer Interpretation Using Temporal Moments on a Spreadsheet”. U. S. Department of Energy, 2005. DE-AC07-05ID14517.
16.
RoseP.LeecasterK.ClausenS.SanjuanR.AmesM.ReimusP.WilliamsM.VermeulV.BenoitD.. “A Tracer Test at the Soda Lake, Nevada Geothermal Field Using a Sorbing Tracer”. Proceedings, Thirty-Seventh Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering. Stanford University, Stanford, CA; January 30-February 12, 2012.
17.
RogachA.L.NageshaD.OstranderJ.W.GiersigM.KotovN.A.. “Raisin Bun-Type Composite Spheres of Silica and Semiconductor Nanocrystals”. Chem. Mater.2000. 12(9): 2676–2685.
18.
YuW.W.QuL.GuoW.PengX.. “Experimental Determination of the Extinction Coefficient of CdTe, CdSe, and CdS Nanocrystals”. Chem. Mater.2003. 15(14): 2854–2860.
19.
HaggertyR.McKennaS.A.MeigsL.C.. “On the Late-Time Behavior of Tracer Test Breakthrough Curves”. Water Resources Res.2000. 36(12): 3467–3479.
20.
BennettR.G.McCartinP.J.. “Radiationless Deactivation of the Fluorescence State of Substituted Anthracenes”. J. Chem. Phys.1966. 44(5): 1969–1972.
