AlgaeChek - Model Ultra - Multiparameter Portable Fluorometer

Chlorophyll a provides an indication of the algal biomass and is often used as an indicator water quality and nutrient pollutants. Phycoerythrin and phycocyanin are pigments found in marine and freshwater cyanobacteria. Many species of cyanobacteria produce toxins that can be harmful to human health or have significant environmental impact.

AlgaeChek Ultra operates in a different fashion to a single wavelength fluorometer, providing information about the proportion of different light harvesting pigments in the algal sample being analysed. AlgaeChek Ultra uses the principle that energy absorbed by the light-harvesting pigments is rapidly transferred to Chlorophyll a, where it is used to initiate a cycle of photosynthesis. A proportion of the energy absorbed, however, is re-emitted as Chlorophyll a fluorescence with a peak at 682nm. All versions of AlgaeChek Ultra come with a Chlorophyll a channel as standard, two other channels can then be selected between turbidity and phycoerythrin and phycocyaninpigments that are prevalent in many cyanobacteria based algae.

The system can combine a sensor with a depth rating of 600m with either a wireless roamer and PDA or laptop connectivity. It provides a low-cost high-performance sensor for marine, freshwater or process applications. A Windows based interface is provided that allows the user to both plot and record time stamped data when operating the AlgaeChek directly from a PC.

• Miniature, low cost multiwavelength fluorometer
• Range of excitation wave length configurations available
• Chlorophyll a fluorescence detection at 685nm
• Digital output in engineering units
• Additional analogue output as standard
• User selectable sampling rate, 0.1Hz - 3Hz
• Internal referencing of excitation intensity
• Rejection of ambient daylight 扰
• Low noise, high sensitivity

Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light. In most cases, the emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore lower energy, than the absorbed light. Fluorometry is the measurement of this fluorescence. Different molecules absorb and emit light at specific wavelengths. In order to effectively use fluorometry as a tool for environmental analysis the specific wavelengths of the absorbed and emitted light for the target molecules/compounds needs to be known. Modern Water fluorometers use LED light source to excite the molecules and then measure the emittance at the desired wavelength. The intensity of the emitted light provides the concentration of the target compound.

• Algal class studies
• Chlorophyll a monitoring
• Environmental monitoring
• Cell culture monitoring
• Particulate studies
• Moored, profiled, towed or ROV/ AUV platforms