A comprehensive laboratory study of the Turner Instrument flow-through models 10AU and 10 fluorometers was conducted to review their ability to measure real-time oil-in-water concentrations and to further understand the relationship of the fluorescence to the chemical composition of the oils. The oils and dispersant used in the program were Alberta Sweet Mixed Blend (ASMB) crude oil (0% and 26% weathered samples), Prudhoe Bay (PB) crude oil (0% and 27% weathered samples), Bunker C (BC) fuel oil (0% and 8.4% weathered samples), Diesel fuel (0% and 37% weathered samples) and Corexit 9500 respectively. The chemical composition of the oils was determined by gas chromatographic techniques and compared to the signal outputs of the fluorometers. It was found that the fluorometer data could not be directly linked to the concentration of any specific aromatic hydrocarbon such as naphthalene or to the sum of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds. Evidence suggests that the fluorescence signal is generated by a combination of PAH compounds. The relative contribution of each PAH compound is not equal. Finally, the response of the fluorometers may also be influenced by the presence of volatile aromatic compounds such as BTEX and C3- benzenes in combination with the PAH compounds.

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