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Fluorescent tracers dedicated to hydrology
The first use of a fluorescent tracer in hydrology dates back to 1877 when Johann Knop used uranine (disodium salt of fluorescein) to study the water course of the Danube. Every map shows that this river flows into the Black Sea hundreds of miles southeast of its source. In fact, Knop showed that only a small portion reaches the Black Sea and that most of it actually flows into the North Sea via the Rhine.
Nowadays, fluorescent tracers such as fluorescein are commonly used in hydrology for flow measurement and also in hydrogeology. It is a valuable tool, especially for the mixed economy company Eau de Paris, which is in charge of the water supply for the city of Paris. In hydrogeology, tracers are used to better define the karst system of underground channels, which connects a source to various sinkholes, of surface river water. Tracers are also used to simulate a man-made or natural pollution, without any risk for the environment. By comparing the results with other engulfments of a single watershed, the impact of pollution can be assessed at the water catchment station.
Laboratoire de photophysique et photochimie supramoléculaires et macromoléculaires, CNRS-ENS Cachan
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