USGS TM1-D5
| Protocol Name | Optical Techniques for the Determination of Nitrate in Environmental Waters: Guidelines for Instrument Selection, Operation, Deployment, Maintenance, Quality Assurance, and Data Reporting | |
|---|---|---|
| Citation Information | Pellerin, B.A., Bergamaschi, B.A., Downing, B.D., Saraceno, J.F., Garrett, J.A., and Olsen, L.D., 2013, Optical techniques for the determination of nitrate in environmental waters: Guidelines for instrument selection, operation, deployment, maintenance, quality assurance, and data reporting: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods 1–D5, 37 p. | |
| Title | Guidelines for Instrument Selection, Operation, Deployment, Maintenance, Quality Assurance, and Data Reporting for Optical Nitrate Sensors | |
| Author | Pellerin, B.A., Bergamaschi, B.A., Downing, B.D., Saraceno, J.F., Garrett, J.A., and Olsen, L.D. | |
| Publication Year | 2013 | |
| Abstract | The recent commercial availability of in situ optical sensors, together with new techniques for data collection and analysis, provides the opportunity to monitor a wide range of water-quality constituents on time scales in which environmental conditions actually change. Of particular interest is the application of ultraviolet (UV) photometers for in situ determination of nitrate concentrations in rivers and streams. The variety of UV nitrate sensors currently available differ in several important ways related to instrument design that affect the accuracy of their nitrate concentration measurements in different types of natural waters. This report provides information about selection and use of UV nitrate sensors by the U.S. Geological Survey to facilitate the collection of high-quality data across studies, sites, and instrument types.
For those in need of technical background and information about sensor selection, this report addresses the operating principles, key features and sensor design, sensor characterization techniques and typical interferences, and approaches for sensor deployment. For those needing information about maintaining sensor performance in the field, key sections in this report address maintenance and calibration protocols, quality-assurance techniques, and data formats and reporting. Although the focus of this report is UV nitrate sensors, many of the principles can be applied to other in situ optical sensors for water-quality studies. | |
| Table of Contents | Abstract Introduction and Background Evaluating the Need for Continuous Data Principles of UV Absorbance Measurements for Nitrate Sensor Design Instrument Components Data Specifications Matrix Effects Sensor Selection Instrument Performance Qualification Instrument Deployment Data Collection Maintenance and Field Operations Data-Processing Procedures Reporting Parameter and Method Codes Final Data Evaluation and Review Summary Acknowledgments References Cited Appendix 1. Calculating Data-Quality Specifications for UV Nitrate Sensors | |
| Methods in Protocol |
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