Comparison of chemical and optical parameters in monitoring of urban river Okhta

Water samples from urban polluted river (the Okhta) and its tributary (the Murinsky brook) in St. Petersburg were analyzed by spectrofluorimetry and photometry. Electric conductivity of water, concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and inorganic carbon (IC) were also measured. Correlations (r = 0.64-0.95) between TN and proteinlike fluorescence intensity of water (excitation 230 or 270 nm, emission 300-350nm) were found for both the river and the brook. These fluorimetric intensities and also ratio of fluorescence intensity at emission wavelengths 350 and 420 (at excitation 230) are recommended for water quality monitoring of the studied objects.