FastGuard - System

From Fluorimeters

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The FastGuard System uses Fast Repetition Rate fluorescence technology to observes the natural trends in water quality parameters and rapidly detect and report anomalies.

Security of water assets is becoming an increasingly major issue that demands immediate and robust alarms for potential contamination. In addition to this, natural growth of algae is an increasingly common problem for water asset managers, the results of which can increase maintenance costs of water processing plants as well as directly effecting water taste.

Data obtained from the Chelsea Technologies Group FastGuard can address both these issues within the one sensor. By probing the efficiency of photosynthesis of the algae, signals can be obtained that directly relate to growth potential and also provide indications of damage to the algae by contaminants effecting the photosynthetic process. The Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry (FRRf) technique used allows accurate measurements to be made even whilst the sample is moving past the sensor head. Early warning of algae growth, potentially resulting in a bloom, allows the asset manager to assess options on how to minimise subsequent impact to a processing plant.

Parameters provided are listed below, which provide detailed information on the physiological state of algae within the water. This data is analysed in real time via the FastProsoftware which provides a single alarm for water contamination detected. Further alarms can be set for rapid increases of the following parameters, providing alarms in situations of rapid algae growth.

A full range of fluorescence parameters is calculated in real time, including:

F_o ('origin' of variable fluorescence in the dark-adapted state)

F_m (maximum fluorescence in the dark-adapted state)

F_v/F_m (maximum PS II photochemical efficiency)
s_PSI_I(absorption cross section of PS II photochemistry)

p (connectivity parameter)

[Chl] (chlorophyll concentration)

If an ST measurement includes a relaxation phase, the following additional parameters
are calculated in real time:

t_f (time constant for PS II centre re-opening)
F_a (fluorescence at the asymptote of the relaxation phase)

The FastGuard fluorometer enables users to interrogate different algal groups including diatoms, cyanbacteria and green algae.

Applications

APPLICATIONS

Water supply contamination
Early warning of algae growth
Algae class assessment and monitoring
Potable and pre-treated water protection
Industrial cooling water management
Water abstraction management
Filter bed protection
Real time water asset management system

FEATURES

Robust automated alarms for water contamination
Full function Graphic User Interface (FastPro) for sensor programming, data presentation, archiving and real time analysis via PC.
Anti-fouling flow head
Low maintenance
High turbidity tolerance
4-20mA, RS422 and USB interface

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APPLICATIONS

Protecting of Drinking Water Infrastructure - Water & Wastewater

Water abstraction points may be affected by spills from farms or factories, and deliberate contamination. Early warning monitoring systems are required to alert operators to these contaminants and to changes in key water quality parameters. A timely response is necessary to prevent contamination and disruption of the public water supply.

Chelsea Technologies Group has developed FastGuard to observe the natural trends in water quality parameters and rapidly detect and report anomalies.

FastGuard is ideally suited for early detection of contamination events. It gives prompt reporting and asessment of the threat and has high sensitivity with minimal false alarm rate.
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Monitoring of Algal Production / Monitoring of Algae Growth - Monitoring & Testing

Over the past 20 years active fluorescence has been widely adopted by the scientific community, ecosystem managers and crop growers as a rapid and non-invasive method of estimating photosynthetic performance within a wide range of organisms, including phytoplankton (microalgae and cyanobacteria), biofilms, benthic autotrophs (corals, macroalgae and sea grasses) and terrestrial plants. The main rational for applying active fluorescence is that changes in key fluorescence parameters can reveal the early onset of chronic and acute degradation of photosynthetic performance and subsequent growth, e.g. resulting from nutrient deficiency or the presence on one or more toxicants.

Over the past 15 years we have been developing an active fluorescence technique called Fast Repetition Rate (FRR) fluorometry to monitor algae populations in the open-ocean, primarily to support climate and ocean modelling.
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