Lab to Lake: Excitation-Emission Matrix's Voyage from Theory to Practice

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a key factor in water quality as it provides information on the movement and transformation of pollutants. To better understand DOM in water environment, three-dimensional Excitation Emission Matrix spectroscopy*1 is considered an effective tool because of its high precision and speed. However, applying this method in real-world environmental monitoring has been challenging due to (1) interference from water turbidity, (2) its complicated data processing, (3) and traditional lab-based methodology which hinders the onsite real-time analysis. To tackle these challenges, Dr. Qian proposed a novel algorithm that improves accuracy in environmental water quality analysis by providing a better data handling on measurement interference caused by characteristics of natural water environment. Additionally, he invented a portable, miniaturized device that allows real-time water quality analysis. His research work contributes as a package of both software and hardware in providing a rapid and precise analysis in the onsite field monitoring of water environment. The results of this research are expected to lead to significant future applications of three-dimensional Excitation Emission Matrix Spectroscopy for monitoring field and water treatment processes, and implications for policy-making and public health.