An Optical Brightener Handbook

Conclusions

A. Simple, low cost but labor intensive "detective" work

In its simplest form the Optical Brightener sampler is merely dye testing. At the "business end of the pipe" people generally are obliging enough to place dye into their domestic waste water. It is only logical that nearby streams, wetlands, and storm drains be sampled to see if it is detectable from the other end.

Drainage from a perimeter drain to a
catch basin
Although an effective Optical Brightener sampling program is very labor intensive, the cost of materials is only about $450.00. Most of that expense is for a good 4-6 watt long wave U.V. fluorescent light. With extra bulbs this should cost about $240.00.
It has been our experience that a two person team can comfortably do 12 - 15 Optical Brightener samples per day. Any more samples than that and one runs the risk of having a trade-off between quantity of samples with quality of results.
Optical Brightener sampling is very labor intensive because of: 1.) the paperwork, 2.) care and cleaning of various sampling devices and 3.) because the O.B. pad remains on site for a period of time, a person must travel twice to the same sampling location (placement and retrieval).

B. Optical Brightener results alone are not suitable for enforcement action but when done in combination with a larger sampling program is an invaluable indicator in helping to identify:

faulty septic systems
sewage exfiltration
storm drain cross-connections
human/animal waste differentiation

Placing an Optical Brightener sampling
device at a suspected septic system break
out through a retaining wall

References

Aley, Thomas, 1991, "The Water Tracer's Cookbook and Related Groundwater Tracing Information". Ozark Underground Laboratory, Protem, Missouri.

Everts, C.J., and R.S. Kanwar. 1994 "Evaluation of Rhodamine WT as an Adsorbed Tracer in an Agricultural Soil". Journal of Hydrology. v.153, p. 53-70.

Fay, Steffan R.; Spong, Ronald C.; Alexander, Scott C.; and Alexander, E. Calvin, Jr.; June 1995 Optical Brighteners: Sorption Behavior, Detection, Septic System Tracer Applications" Published in Proceedings of the International Association of Hydrogeologists XXVI International Congress, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Ipswich Coastal Pollution Control Committee, March 1995, "Final Report". Town of Ipswich, MA.

Kittrell, F.W. , 1969, "A Practical Guide to Water Quality Studies of Streams". U.S. Department of the Interior.

Knowles, Robert (Gloucester, Massachusetts Shellfish Constable) personal communication.

Quinlan, J.F. 1981. "Hydrologic Research Techniques and Instrumentation in the Mammoth Cave Region, Kentucky". In: GSA Cincinnati '81 Field Trip Guidebooks. v. 3, p. 457-506. (Ed: T.G. Roberts. ) American Geological Institute, Washington D.C.

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