Optical brighteners\u2014or fluorescent whitening compounds (FWCs)\u2014absorb light
\nin the ultraviolet and violet region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and reemit light by a process
\nknown as fluorescence in a lower-energy region of the spectrum, namely in the blue region
\n(typically 420-470 nm). These additives are often used to enhance the appearance of the coloring
\nof fabrics and papers, causing a “whitening” effect; they make intrinsically yellow or orange
\nmaterials look less so, by compensating the deficit in blue and purple light reflected by the material,
\nwith the blue and purple optical emission of the fluorophore [1-9]. Because these are synthetic
\ncompounds and, consequently, not naturally occurring, they make excellent markers for detecting
\nleakage of wastewater into surface water as they are introduced into sewage from the detergents
\nused in clothes washing. We propose to characterize commercially available optical brighteners
\nthat are used predominantly in laundry detergents to determine the uniqueness of their spectral
\nsignatures and to ensure that there is no spectral overlap with spectral signatures from other waste
\nor from naturally occurring substances. We also propose to determine the lifetimes of the optical
\nbrighteners in the presence of oxygen, light, microbes, and surface water as such environments
\nmay contribute to their partial decomposition, rendering them potentially useless as analytical
\nprobes yet still deleterious from a public health perspective. Funding for this proposal will, in
\naddition to ensuring the outcomes noted above, also continue the training of promising
\nundergraduate students, enable the submission of a larger federally-funded grant proposal, and
\npotentially permit the patenting and licensing of new detection technology (with which we have
\nexperience, as noted on our vita and as indicated by our RD100 award).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Optical brighteners\u2014or fluorescent whitening compounds (FWCs)\u2014absorb light in the ultraviolet and violet region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and reemit light by a process known as fluorescence in a lower-energy region […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","portfolio_category":[10],"portfolio_tag":[],"class_list":["post-7416","portfolio","type-portfolio","status-publish","hentry","portfolio_category-statewide"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n