Development of a chalcogenide glass fiber device for in situ pollutant detection

Infrared optical fibers based on chalcogenides are investigated to optimize their response and they are used for in situ detection of pollutant in groundwater. The pilot scale measurements proved that a Te2As3Se5 (TAS) glass fiber permits access to the absorption line positions of classic pollutants like tetrachloroethylene or dichlorobenzene. Moreover, it has been shown that the original design of the fiber enables detection of weak concentrations of pollutants down to 1 ppm. For experiments in real world conditions, optical fibers must be durable under various natural working conditions in ground water. The preliminary mechanical tests demonstrate that efforts have to be done while drawing the fiber to improve their resistance. Nevertheless, at this time, a polymer coated TAS glass fiber is already a useful tool to collect some infrared spectra in landfill.