Specification :
The greatest amount of biomass on Earth
consists of algae. While most algae
increases the benefits to humans in the
form of food, energy and pharmaceuticals, some bear the potential of
toxin production. These hazardous algae
pose a high risk to human health in fresh
and marine waters. The group of bluegreen algae ( cyanobacteria) is wellknown to produce highly toxic compounds such as MICROCYSTIN.
Therefore, it is an essential task to survey water bodies where humans can come
into contact with algae-polluted water.
The AlgaeTorch is a light-weight,
field instrument for the quantification of
blue-green algae and total chlorophyll.
The algae analysis includes the
determination of chlorophyll content,
which replaces the wet-chemical
approach. The measurement is based on
the natural fluorescence of algal cells.
Immediately performed, the measurement itself needs less than 20 seconds.
To switch the AlgaeTorch on, it is tilted
rapidly upwards and then downwards. A
clearly presented menu enables one-step
measurements. For the input and
operation of the instrument, four contact
keys are located on the side of the
housing just below the display.
After starting a measurement, the
remaining seconds until the end are
counted down visibly on the display. A
vibration alert informs the user about
completion of the measurement
Features
* blue-green algae ( cyanobacteria)
* total chlorophyll-a
* high sensitivity
* no sample preparation
* easy handling
* automatic turbidity correction
* LCD display
* GPS sensor ( option)
* USB connection to laptop/ P
Chlorophyllmeasurement
The pigments of the algae are spectrally
excited by three coloured LEDs at high
frequency. As a response, the algae emit
red fluoroescent light. The intensity of the light is used for the calculation of the different algal groups, e.g. blue-greens and total microalgae.
The calculation is performed internally with optimised algorithms. The results are
displayed and stored in the internal
memory. An encapsulated USB port enables
data transfer to a PC.
Aplication
* Water Quality
* Bloom Detection
* Cynobacteria assessment
* Toxic alerts
* Reservoir Management
* Bathing Water Surveillance
* Limnological Work
* Research & Education
Turbidity measurement
For the determination of particulate
matter , the intensity of the reflected red
light is measured and displayed as turbidity.
Pressuremeasurement ( optional)
For profiling down to 100 m, a special
version of the AlgaeTorch is equipped with a depth rating pressure sensor. Depths are
recorded with the chlorophyll data.
