Development of In Situ Monitoring Sensor for Oil Spills in the Mediterranean Sea Using Portable Mass Spectrometry

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Monitoring

Background:

• Oil contamination in aquatic environments requires rapid detection methods.
• Membrane Inlet Mass Spectrometry (MIMS) offers direct, continuous monitoring without chromatography.
• Real-time environmental analysis demands suitable technologies for volatile organic compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a portable MIMS system for in situ detection of oil-related volatile organic compounds in aquatic environments.
• To assess the MIMS system's capability under field conditions at various pilot sites.
• To validate the MIMS technology for continuous, real-time environmental surveillance.

Main Methods:

• Deployment of a portable MIMS system at multiple pilot sites, including a fixed buoy platform.
• Continuous recording and analysis of mass spectral data over extended monitoring periods.
• Field testing focused on detecting selected hydrocarbon target compounds associated with oil contamination.

Main Results:

• No target analyte signals were detected above the established limits of detection across all monitoring campaigns.
• The MIMS configuration demonstrated robustness for continuous environmental monitoring.
• The system's suitability for detecting trace-level pollutants, when present, was confirmed.

Conclusions:

• The portable MIMS system is suitable for continuous environmental monitoring of aquatic environments.
• Field validation is crucial for optimizing MIMS technology for environmental surveillance.
• Further optimization can broaden the application of MIMS in detecting trace pollutants.