Detection and Classification of Heavy Metal and Organic Material in Water Using Iso-Pathlength Point Characterization

Water pollution, particularly from hazardous substances like heavy metal ions, poses a serious threat to both human health and the environment. The conventional methods used to measure these pollutants in water are not only expensive and time-consuming but also require extensive sample preparation. Addressing this challenge, we propose an optical approach that utilizes the full scattering profile, focusing on the iso-pathlength (IPL) point. The IPL point remains constant for different scattering coefficients, with absorption affecting only its intensity, not its position. This paper demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach detecting FeCl2 and intralipid in concentrations of 70-100 and 20-30 ppm, respectively. These findings highlight the IPL point as an intrinsic calibration parameter, offering an efficient means to differentiate water contamination. The method is not only precise and versatile but also emerges as a preferred choice for real-time water monitoring applications.