Fluorescence sensor measurements in sediment suspensions to evaluate turbidity corrections

The use of field-deployable fluorescence sensors to better understand dissolved organic matter concentrations and composition has grown immensely in recent years. Applications of these sensors to critical monitoring efforts have also grown to encompass post-fire monitoring, wastewater tracking, and use as a proxy for various contaminants. Despite the growth, it is well known that these sensors are subject to various interferences and require corrections for temperature, turbidity, and concentration effects. Although temperature corrections are widely applicable across sensors, the turbidity and concentration corrections can be site-specific and/or sensor-specific. The corrections can even be subject to changes in manufacturing within a sensor type, as has been raised as a concern for the USGS’s most widely used fDOM (fluorescence of dissolved organic matter) sensor manufactured by Xylem/YSI. Currently there is limited guidance on the proper corrections for sensors used within the USGS. As the use of these sensors continues to grow, the need for greater standardization of the measurements among sites and through time will also grow. This data release compiles the measurements collected from multiple lab experiments using Elliot Silt Loam. The data contained herein will be used to assess the variability of fDOM corrections for turbidity.