Aqualog
Water Quality Measurements Made Easy
The HORIBA Aqualog is a unique optical spectrometer that is the gold standard in environmental water research around the world for the study of color dissolved organic matter (CDOM).
The Aqualog was invented to meet the needs of environmental water researchers around the world studying CDOM using fluorescence spectroscopy. At that time researchers were using scanning spectrofluorometers to slowly acquire a three dimensional matrix of the fluorescence excitation and fluorescence emission spectra, called an Excitation Emission Matrix (EEM). The EEM provides a fingerprint for studying dissolved organic matter, however it took up to an hour to collect a single EEM profile, tying the researcher to the lab bench for the entire day.
The HORIBA Aqualog vastly improves the speed with which fluorescence EEMs are collected, dramatically increase the dynamic range across which EEM fingerprints are quantitative, and simultaneously acquires absorbance spectra for absorbance and color analysis of non-fluorescent molecules present in water. We call this technique that the Aqualog employs, an Absorbance-Transmission Excitation Emission Matrix, or A-TEEMTM.
Why Choose Aqualog
- Simultaneously measures both absorbance spectra and fluorescence Excitation-Emission Matrices
- Corrected UV-VIS absorbance detection path for stability and accuracy
- Water Raman signal-to-noise evaluation
- Automatic sample changer option (2-or 4-position)
- High Fidelity Molecular Fingerprinting with unique A-TEEMTM
Key Advantages of Aqualog
Flow Cell & Titrator Compatibility
Supports continuous flow assays and automated titration workflows
Reference Detector Correction
Ensures baseline stability and accurate ratiometric measurements
Aberration‑Corrected Monochromator
Delivers low stray‑light and high spectral purity
Simultaneous Excitation & Emission Acquisition
Enables comprehensive dual‑mode analysis
Applications of Aqualog
Quality Control in Beverages
Ensures consistency and compliance of juices, wines, milk, and dairy through rapid spectral fingerprinting.
Adulteration & Fermentation Monitoring
Detects contaminants and tracks fermentation status via characteristic absorbance and fluorescence markers.
Protein Conformation Studies
Probes structural dynamics of proteins in food and beverage matrices using time‑resolved fluorescence.
Excipient & Impurity Profiling
Identifies formulation components and unwanted compounds through high‑resolution spectral analysis.
Food Contaminant Detection
Screens for trace pesticides, toxins, and chemical residues to guarantee product safety.
Technical Specifications of Aqualog
| Fluorescence Hardware | |
|---|---|
| Light source | Extended-UV: 150W vertically mounted xenon arc lamp |
| Excitation range | 200 nm to upper limit of emission detector |
| Excitation bandpass | 5 nm |
| Excitation monochromator | Subtractive double monochromator |
| Excitation gratings | 1200 gr/mm, 250 nm blaze |
| Excitation wavelength accuracy | ±1 nm |
| Choice of Detector | Red-extended |
| Emission range | 250-800 nm |
| Emission grating | 285 gr/mm; 350 nm blaze |
| Hardware pixel binning | 0.58, 1.16, 2.32, 4.64 nm/pixel |
| Emission bandpass | 5 nm |
| Emission spectrograph | Fixed, aberration-corrected 140 mm focal length |
| Emission detector | TE-cooled back-illuminated CCD |
| Emission integration time | 5 ms minimum |
| CCD gain options | 2.25 e-/cts in high gain, 4.5 e-/cts in medium gain, 9 e-/cts in low gain |
| Sensitivity | Water-Raman SNR > 20,000:1 (RMS method) (350 nm excitation, 30s integration) |
| Weight | 32.72 kg (72 lbs) |
| Dimensions | LWH (618 x 435 x 336 mm); (24" x 17" x 13") |
| Absorbance Hardware | |
|---|---|
| Scanning range | 200-800 nm (UV lamp) |
| Bandpass | 5 nm |
| Slew speed | Maximum 500 nm/s |
| Optical system | Corrected single-beam |
| Detector | Si photodiode |
| Wavelength accuracy | +/- 1 nm |
| Wavelength repeatability | +/- 0.5 |
| Photometric accuracy | +/- 0.01 AU from 0 to 2 AU |
| Photometric stability | <0.002 AU per hour |
| Photometric repeatability | +/- 0.002 AU (0 to 1 AU) |
| Stray light | <1% measure with Kl standard |
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