Tackling Water Quality Challenges with Compact UV Spectroscopy

As global concerns surrounding water quality intensify, safeguarding this indispensable resource becomes increasingly imperative. The impact of water quality affects many aspects of our lives, including our food systems, environment, and personal health. Unfortunately, factors such as the increasing population, intensified farming practices and industrial waste have all taken a toll on the purity of our water sources [2]. To tackle these challenges, Hamamatsu Photonics has just developed advanced UV spectrometers, offering innovative solutions for water quality management. Water quality monitoring is particularly pronounced in two key areas: environmental monitoring and drinking water quality monitoring.

Environmental monitoring
 

When a body of water becomes too rich in nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus due to the impact of human activities, the consequent reduction in oxygen levels causes the death of aquatic life. This poses a challenge to conservation efforts and our food supply.

Monitoring wastewater quality serves two purposes: early detection of pollution events and continuously ensuring compliance with regulations at treatment facilities[ 7]. For example, hospitals and pharmaceutical plants generate large amounts of concentrated antibiotic wastewater that needs to be treated and analyzed before being released into the environment.