title: Chlorophyll-a determination via continuous measurement of plankton fluorescence: methodology development.
abstract: A methodology is presented for the continuous measurement of chlorophyll-a concentration due to plankton, in surface water environments. A Turner 10-AU fluorometer equipped with the F4T5.B2/BP lamp (blue lamp), a Cs 5-60 equivalent excitation path filter, and a 680 nm emission filter, has been used. This configuration allows the in vivo, in situ determination of chlorophyll-a by measuring the fluorescence due to the pigments. In field work the fluorometer, data logging and positioning equipment were placed aboard a manageable boat which navigated following a scheme of regularly spaced crossings. Some water samples were collected during the measurement for laboratory chlorophyll-a measurements by the spectrophotometric method, thus providing for calibration and comparison. Spatial chlorophyll-a concentration distributions can be easily defined in large volumes, such as reservoirs, etc. Two distinct environments have been monitored: in the Vargem das Flores reservoir chlorophyll-a concentrations varied between 0.7 and 2.6 mg/m3, whereas in the Lagoa Santa lake these values lied in the 12 to 18 mg/m3 range. The simplicity, versatility and economy of the method, added to the large amount of data that can be gathered in a single run, clearly justify its use in field environmental studies.
authors.affiliation: Center for the Development of Nuclear Energy, National Nuclear Energy Commission Rua Prof. Mário Werneck, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. amfp@urano.cdtn.br
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Von Sperling
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Moreira
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis*; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005068:Eutrophication; D005453:Fluorescence; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000502:physiology*; D014876:Water Pollution
chemical_list: D002734:Chlorophyll; D000077194:Chlorophyll A