Chapter 24 The application of fibre optic chemical sensors for heavy metal monitoring in contaminated environments

Publisher Summary This chapter provides a general introduction to fiber optic chemical sensors (FOCS) with particular application for heavy metal monitoring. Optical fibers have created a revolution in the communications industry because of their ability to transmit optical signals over vast distances without significant loss of the signal intensity. This is because of the way they are designed with a central core surrounded by a cladding that has a higher refractive index than the core. As a result of the difference in the refractive indices of the core and cladding, light is propagated along the optical fiber via total internal reflection. FOCS have great potential as an analytical tool in environmental monitoring, particularly in situations where capacity for remote sensing is desirable. This might be so in environments of a hazardous nature such as radioactive sites where direct human access might not be advisable. The chapter looks at the general features of FOCS, their analytical applications and limitations, and developments and future research needs. Development of heavy metal sensors along with the challenges for application to real-life monitoring are also discussed in the chapter.