Flow-based luminescence-sensing methods for environmental water analysis

Due to the increasing number of pollutants in environmental water, analytical techniques applicable in environmental monitoring have been developed. Luminescence methods, which are rapid, reliable, cost effective and smart, are powerful tools for water analysis. We present an overview of the development and the applications of flow-based luminescence-sensing methods for environmental water analysis. We review the three luminescence techniques (i.e. fluorescence, phosphorescence and chemiluminescence) that are usually associated with monitoring. We divide the review into sections to highlight different categories of contaminants: (1) general parameters; (2) organic compounds; (3) pesticides; (4) cationic and anionic species; and, (5) surfactants, hydrogen peroxide and estrogens.